


The Lady in Black Leather

by Ruth_Oakenshield



Category: Aiden Turner - Fandom, Graham McTavish - Fandom, Richard Armitage - Fandom, famous actors, modern day - Fandom
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, Leather, Multi, this is a fic for age 18+ readers ONLY
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:54:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 40
Words: 148,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24671926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruth_Oakenshield/pseuds/Ruth_Oakenshield
Summary: A beautiful and mysterious woman clad in black along with a firery haired woman are spotted at a shopping center by Graham after he accidentally runs into one of them almost knocking her over. He apologizes and catches the mysterious woman before she falls and later that night they are spotted at the same Bar as Graham and his friends are at. Richard pursues the Lady in the Black leather and mayhem ensues. Can they figure out how to make things work out?
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

It was 2pm and you were bored. You were tired of sitting around the apartment. You called Scarlet and asked her to come over. The two of you purged your wardrobe and then she decided to take you out. "You need a makeover and a new wardrobe. Come on!" and off the two of you went. 

Your doctor had FINALLY given you permission to do what you wished now that you had healed completely from the surgery. You had spent the last three months not doing much. You weren't allowed your normal walking routine and you couldn't exercise, lift much, nor have sex. That last one not being much of a problem cuz your boyfriend dumped you when you told him you needed this surgery because of your Uterine Fibroids causing you so much pain.

He was livid and called you all kinds of horrible names, told you that you'd be less of a woman if you had the surgery, and told you no man would ever want you if you told them you could no longer bear children... not that you would've been able to anyway. The doctor told you that the fibroid was so large it took up nearly all of the room in your womb and he recommended you have the surgery soon before the fibroid got much bigger. He told you that if you didn't have this surgery, you might become pregnant, but would most certainly lose the baby due to the fibroid. You decided you didn't want to risk that and was tired of the agonizing pain you endured every month when your period rolled around.

Well you had the surgery just after Christmas, spent New Years alone at home recovering. Your friends checking in with you and helping you with basic household chores, dressing, and shopping for you.

Scarlett, your best friend, saw you nearly every day. She would come in the morning before she went into work, would help you in and out of the shower and helped you get dressed. Then she would return in the evening to help you get ready for bed. One day she noticed you weren't as happy as you usually were and asked what was wrong.

You spilled your guts out to her. Telling her everything your now ex-boyfriend had said to you and how you just feel unloved, hollow and empty now. You cried because you always wanted to feel what it was like to have a baby inside you and now you'd never know. She tried to comfort you and encourage you but could see as the time went on, that you were slipping into depression.

Finally on the day you were cleared by your doctor to resume your usual activities, she took you to her favourite salon to cheer you up and give you a boost of confidence. She scheduled you for a makeover and then took you out to get you a new wardrobe after the two of you purged your old one. You got rid of almost everything that wasn't black. She chuckled and thought it was just a phase you were going through. You two walked through the stores and looked at all kinds of different outfits. You tried some on, but only ever purchased black.

The two of you giggled at the lingerie store and she held up a black leather underbust corset with silver buckles across it and shoulder straps. The corset laced up in the back. Your eyes lit up and you snatched it out of her hands. You found a black peasant style blouse with cutouts at the shoulders and another one that you could pull down so the neckline circled your upper arms and came across your back and chest, exposing lots of skin, or you could pull it up over your shoulders to be more modest if desired. 

You found another underbust corset that was black and made from a pretty brocade patterned satin, this laced up in the back as well. You tried them both on and instantly fell in love with them. You came out of the dressing room with your black leather pants on, the black peasant blouse and the leather corset and went to look at yourself in the mirror.

"HOT DAMN!" Scarlett said as she saw you come walking out! "GOD! Don't come anywhere near my Sam dressed like that!" She teases. You look in the mirror and grin. Your long, dark, straight hair has really grown out and now hangs just below your waist. Now that it has had a proper trim and conditioning treatment, it shines like a raven's feathers. Your makeup is a lovely dark smokey eye and light pink lipstick and blush.

You grin again at how you look and feel in the corset. You enjoy how it hugs you and gives your abdominal area the extra support and you feel more confident and carry yourself with a straighter posture.

You head back into the fitting room and put on the other corset and the black high-low ruffled skirt Scarlett had found. It looked nice with the brocade on the second corset and you came out with the cutout shoulder black peasant shirt on under the corset. Again Scarlett's eyes about popped out of her head. "GOD, Harley, you look smashing!" She tells you. How about we go out for drinks and dancing tonight to celebrate your new look and your doc releasing you back into the real world again?!?!" she suggests.

"Ok, Scarlett. That sounds like it might be fun!" you say with a grin. "Which one should I wear?" you ask.

"Go put the black leathers back on, but leave this top on and put on the other corset." She tells you. You go and do that and then come back out.

"YES! That is your look for tonight! now we just need to find you a jacket to wear!" she tells you.

You ask the clerk if you can just wear this out of the business and she nods. "Here, let me just snip off the tags for you so the cashier can ring them up." she says.

You pay for the purchases and the two of you head out into the spring sunshine.

"We need to find you some sexy boots and a jacket!" Scarlett says and then her eyes brighten. "I know just where to go to get both!" she exclaims.

She takes you to a shop a few doors down and the sales men are almost falling over trying to help you find the right boots. You settle for two pairs. A higher heel boot that goes just above the knee, and a flat pair that goes to mid calf... both in black.

You pay for the two pairs and wear the higher heeled one out of the store. The two of you are laughing and joking and aren't paying attention when you suddenly bump into a big, burly, balding man who almost knocks you off your feet. He reaches out and catches you before you fall and apologizes for not paying attention to where he was going. He has a warm, scottish accent and smiles at you with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

You blush beet red and he chuckles. "You gonna be okay, Lass?" he asks as he steadies you. You nod and grin. "Thanks, sir, for catching my friend." Scarlett pipes up, seeing you all flustered. He chuckles and nods. "My pleasure. You two ladies have a nice day." he says as Scarlett pulls you towards the store selling the jacket she wants you to get.

The big, burly, balding man watches you two walk away and he grins as he watches your long, raven hair sway from side to side as you walk. He chuckles again and shakes his head. "Damn, she was hot!" he tells himself as he sees you two walk into the store.

You and Scarlett look around at all the different types of jackets. You both select a few and you go to try them on in front of the mirror. Scarlett hands you a black high low jacket with a royal purple lining. You try it on and grin. It has a fitted chest with three flaps that cross the chest and snap closed, the bottom of the coat flares slightly at your hips and does the typical high-low lay. You turn and show her. "What do you think of this with that skirt I bought?" you ask. She claps and nods. "Oooohhh Yes!!!" she says.

You take off the jacket and set it aside. Then she hands you another one. This one was a patent leather gothic style trench coat with a huge hood that you could fold over your shoulders when you weren't wearing the hood. You liked it immediately. It was comfortable and yet form fitting to your hips, then flared out as you walked. You decided to get that one too and the best part about it was that it was waterproof.

"Now I just need a short one for going out on the town." you tell her. She holds up a couple and you grab the one with a double collar and an asymmetrical zipper across the chest. You try it on and grin. "Yes!" Scarlett says. That looks great with your current outfit!" she exclaims.

You take all three jackets to the cashier and pay for them. You decide to wear the short one for the day and the clerk carefully puts the other two into a bag for you and clips off the tags for the short jacket. Scarlett carries the bag out after you paid for everything.

"Now to find you a little black dress and some more cute tops and some more pants and skirts." Scarlett tells you. The two of you are laughing as you leave the store and the big, bald man looks up from his phone and smiles.

The two of you walk from store to store and shop for clothes. One of the stores, is right near where the big bald guy is standing. He sees you looking at black dresses and skirts. Scarlett is holding up a couple and you frown and shake your head. Then you hold up a gorgeous long black number that makes him want to beg you to try it on. He grins when he sees you drape it over your arm to try on. You grab a couple knee length and another high-low skirt and head for the dressing room. He has a clear shot of the mirrors and waits for you to come out.

You and Scarlett head to the fitting room and you ask her what you should try on first. She tells you to leave the top and the corset on and to try on the skirts first. You do and come out in the knee length one and bare feet. "OOOOhhhh! I likkkkkkeeeeee!" she says excitedly "Very sophisticated!" she tells you. "But you need a nice pair of black dress shoes for that look." she says as she looks around. "Hang on!" she goes and finds a pair of simple black pumps in your size. She helps you slip into them and giggles as you are now taller than her. You turn and look into the mirror and grin. "Come on, do a twirl and the catwalk." Scarlett teases.

You chuckle and give her a catwalk strut down the walkway towards the windows, you twirl around at the window, not noticing the bald man standing outside in the hallway staring at you with great appreciation, and you catwalk back to Scarlett who is clapping and her firery red curls bouncing as she bounces in her seat. "Great! Go try on the high- low skirt!" she tells you.

You go back into the fitting room and come out a moment later in the high low skirt. It has a royal purple lining in it that matches the jacket you bought. Scarlett squeals when she sees you come out in it and pulls out the jacket. "Here! You gotta try it with the jacket!" she exclaims and helps you into the jacket.

You look in the mirror and turn this way and that. "I don't know, Scarlett, I kind of want to stick with just the black." you tell her. She laughs, "Aww, come on Har, ya gotta have a LITTLE pop of color now and then!" she teases. "Come on, do the catwalk with this one too! I think that guy you bumped into seems to be enjoying your little fashion show." she teases.

You glance up and notice him standing outside the windows talking to someone on his phone occasionally glancing in. Your face gets pink and you say, "I don't know, Scar, now I'm nervous." "Aw, come on! Harley! Show 'em what ya got! He seems to be enjoying it, let 'em look. It's not like you're gonna take 'em home with ya!" she teases.

"Fine!" you relent. You strut down the walkway towards the windows and do your little spin, making the tails of the jacket fly and strut back to Scarlett, who is giggling.

"And now for the finale! The little black dress!!!!!" she exclaims with glee. You roll your eyes and head back into the fitting room. You remove the corset and the blouse, the skirt and then put on the dress. It looks all right on you but then you wonder how it'll look with the corset. You put the corset back on and voila, you look amazing! You grin and slip on the black heels again. You step out of the fitting room and look straight down the walkway to see the reaction of the man standing just outside the windows. The bald one you bumped into's eyes get wide and he grins at you. You glance over to Scarlett who pulls you over in front of the full length mirror and makes you turn slowly.

You admire how flattering the dress is on you and how the corset gives your girls just the right amount of support. "Har, why did you put the corset over it?" Scarlett asked.

"Because I need the support and the dress looked better with it on." you explained. You strut down the walkway slowly and give the guy a good look at you. When you reach the window, you smirk at him to let him know you saw him watching, and his face turns pink and he glances away, continuing the conversation on his phone. The moment you turn he glances back to admire your rear in the dress.

"HOT DAMN! She is SMOKIN HOT!" he grins. He is distracted and suddenly hears Aiden on the other end of the phone. "Now, Martin wants to know if we are meeting him up at The Squawking Raven's Bar tonight. He needs to let them know how many to reserve tables for. You two comin' or what?" Aiden asks.

Graham is still watching you interact with Scarlett and isn't paying attention. "Earth to Graham... You coming to The Squawking Raven's tonight or what?" Martin asks. "Yeah, I guess. I don't have anywhere else to go tonight." he replies as he watches you head for the dressing room.

"Out of your league, Graham... Out of your league." He tells himself. Then turns his attention back to the three way call he was on. The three of them talk about what time to meet at the bar and Graham spots you and Scarlett heading for the Cashier. He grins when he sees you pay for the dress and both skirts and the shoes. The two of you head for the doors and start walking towards him. As you walk past you pause and whisper. "Hey handsome, hope you enjoyed the show!" and then kept on walking, arm in arm with Scarlett who was looking back and giggling.

Graham grinned

**FAST FORWARD TO THE EVENING**

"Come on Har! Hurry up!!!" Scarlett says, annoyed. You come running out of the bathroom and then ask. "What should I wear? I got so many cute outfits with you today."

Scarlett picks out the leather pants that are almost like leggings they fit you so tight, the peasant top with the cut outs, and the brocade corset, then thinks and grabs the high-low skirt with the purple lining. "Here, wear this." she says.

You quickly get dressed and she pulls the neckline down around your shoulders exposing your shoulders more. "There. Now find a necklace and get your knee high boots on so we can go!"

You quickly find a black lace choker, with a silver circlet at the throat. There is one long, silver chain coming down off the center of the choker and it has a black pearl on the end. There are two slightly shorter silver chains, one on either side of the longer one, and they too have black pearls on them. There are four small pendants containing black pearls each one flanking the longer chains. You put it on and then put on the matching earrings.

You dab on some Ylang Ylang essential oil you use as perfume.

You look at your hair and say, "Scar, can you quickly braid this for me into one of your rope braids?" she looks at you and grins. She pulls half of your hair up and braids it into her signature rope braid then wraps it around your head several times. Pinning it in place with hairpins. She takes some of your hair jewels and puts them in throughout the twisted hair crown. "There, now let's go!" she says and grabs your arm.

You pull on your boots and grab your hooded trench coat and put it on. You dig out your ID and debit card and cash from your wallet and put it into a small leather pouch and ties it to your loop on the bottom of the corset on your right side.

The two of you dash out the door and Scarlett drives you two to The Squawking Raven bar. You both walk up to the bouncer and he grins. "Hi Scar! Who do you have with you tonight?" Joe asks. "Joe, this is my best friend, Harley. She is celebrating her first night out since having major surgery and we're gonna have a good time if you let us in." she teases. He holds out his hand and you hand him your ID. He looks at it, gets a surprised look on his face and hands it back to you. "You sure don't look your age, Honey! Scar, you sure she is over 21?" he teases. Scarlett giggles, Yes, Joe. We have been friends since we were toddlers." she tells him. "Damn!" he replies. "Well you two ladies have fun!" he tells you two as he holds the door for you both to enter.

The music and the bass hit your bodies immediately and you grin. Yes, this was exactly what you needed after the last four months of life dragging you down.

You both head for the coat check and then once your coats are safely stowed away, you go to grab a drink. You both come up to the bar and Lacey glances up. "Well lookie here! It's Scar and someone new! How are ya tonight?" He asks.

"Hey, Lacey! This is my best friend, Harley. Harley, this is Lacey." she tells you both. "Nice to meet you Harley! Welcome to The Squawking Raven. Can I get you two ladies anything?" he asks.

You look up at the selections. "Jameson on the rocks, please." you ask. He looks surprised and Scarlett just grins. "Screwdriver for me, Lace." Scarlett says. You two turn and watch the dancing for a minute and look around. You see there is an upper deck where people are seated in booths and some are standing by a railing looking down. There is a spiral staircase at the front and center end of the upper deck.

"Here you are ladies!" Lacey says as he hands you both your drinks. You both grin and Scarlett tells him to put the drinks for tonight on her tab. He nods and the two of you head for an empty table by the dance floor.

You giggle as you watch Scarlett's curls bounce in time to the music as she jams out while you two walk. She is in a bright green leather steam punk vest with a high collar and chains hanging off it. There are little gold hooks holding the vest closed and she has black jeans on. She has her usual ankle boots on and her red hair is reminding you of Merida from the movie Brave.

You order food and wait for it to arrive before downing the alcohol too much. Once you both have eaten and drank your first round of drinks, you both are ready to hit the dance floor.

___________

Graham is standing by the door outside waiting for the rest of the group to arrive. Martin and his wife were already inside and up in the upper deck's booths. Finally he sees Richard's and Aiden's cars arrive. They join him at the door and Joe lets them in. They are heading across the floor for the spiral staircase when someone dancing bumps into Richard, causing him to bump into someone who is in front of him and slightly off to the side, nearly knocking them off their feet.

He reacts quickly and steadies the person. His left hand grabbing her upper arm and his right hand steadying her as he grabs her waist to keep her from flying forward too far. His hands land on soft leather and he feels the person's body stiffen momentarily.

He rumbles an apology close to the person's ear so she could hear him over the music. He has to resist letting out a groan when the scent of her perfume hits his nose. It was like a sweet intoxication and he was hooked instantly. The woman frowns and looks up at him with her big blue eyes and long, black lashes. At first she didn't recognize him, then it dawned on her who he was and her eyes widen and a blush creeps up her neck.

"OH! I'm sorry!" you say. When you realize who just bumped into you.

He chuckles and lets go of your arm, keeping his other hand on your hip. "I'm sorry for bumping into you." he apologizes. "You ok?" He asks. You stare at him for a moment, then lower your head shyly and nod."I'm fine." you tell him.

He grins. "Ok. Just wanted to make sure you were all right." he replies with a panty melting smirk. You have to bite your lip to resist groaning audibly. "Damn, he is so frickin' sexy in that blue shirt and silver grey pants! His hair was longer than you had seen him wear it in a while. You follow his tumblr and twitter pages. His silver streaks in his hair were a little more noticeable now and you grinned. You reached up and hesitantly brushed a strand off his face, making him grin more. 

"Thank you." you replied. Suddenly Scarlett was grabbing your hand and pulling you further into the dance floor, completely oblivious to your exchange with the handsome actor. You looked over your shoulder as she pulled you away and mouthed, "Sorry" to him. He chuckled and headed for the spiral staircase where the others were gathered at it's top along the railing.

You and Scarlett danced for a while and when you got thirsty, you sat down at the table while she went to get you both drinks. You looked around, beaming at all the fun you were having. They were playing great dance music tonight. You glanced up into the upper deck and gasped. You saw the bald man from earlier in the day standing at the railing with Richard Armitage and suddenly there was Aiden Turner and Martin Freeman along with another woman who you assume was Martin's wife.

As you were looking up, Scarlett came back with your drinks. "Here's another Jameson on the rocks for you, Harley!" she said as she plopped it down on the table. "What'cha lookin' at?" she asked when you glanced back up at the upper deck.

"You'll never guess who is here." you tell her.

"Who?" she asks. You tilt your head up to the deck. "Along the railing..." you say as you take a swig of your drink.

"Oh my GOD!!!" she squeals excitedly. "I knew I recognized Baldy from this afternoon! That's Graham McTavish!!!! Oh my God, you were flirting with him!!! And he flirted with you!!!" Scarlett teased!

You blushed beet red. "Look who else is up there." you replied.

"Oh good Lord! It's Aiden Turner and Mr. Oakenshield himself, Mr. Armitage!" she squealed. Then she saw Martin turn and face the dance floor again after talking to someone behind him. "Bilbo is here too?!?!?!?!" she squeaked! "Oh my dear Harley! We hit the jack pot tonight!!! Eye candy everywhere!!!!" she exclaimed!

You just covered your face and laughed. "Scar, PLEASE don't embarass me tonight!!! They are just normal people like you and me, just a lot richer." you tell her.

"Come on! Let's go dance some more!" she squeals and pulls you out on the floor. You bring your half drunk Jameson with you so no one can mess with it. You quickly realize you need to down it due to the number of bodies around you. "Hang on, Scar, I gotta go finish my drink!" you tell her. She nods and keeps dancing.

You head back to the table and take another swig of your drink. You don't notice that Graham spotted you on the dance floor with the redhead from earlier in the day and pointed you both out to Richard and Aiden. You finish your drink and pop one of the small ice cubes in your mouth and chomp on it, liking the feel of the crunch in your mouth. you pop another in your mouth and crunch on it too.

"You know what they say about Lasses who eat ice don't ya?" You hear from behind you. You grin and recognize that accent and the warm voice. You pick out another small ice cube, turn and pop it in your mouth as you raise an eyebrow.

You see Richard swallow hard and you smirk. You roll the cube around in your mouth for a moment teasing the two men, and then give it a satisfying crunch.

"What do they say about Lasses who chew on Ice, Mr. McTavish?" you tease.

He smirks, then says, "They haven't gotten any in a while." he chuckles, pats Richard on the back and turns to head back to the upper deck. You giggle and look at a stunned Richard.  
"You want a drink?" you ask when you see Aiden approach Scarlett to dance.

Richard snaps out of it and chuckles, "Sure, what are you having?" he asks as you both make your way to the bar.

"Jameson on the rocks, please Lacey, and something for Mr. Armitage here." you tell him. Lacey's eyes open wide and he grins. "Sure! What'll you have?" he asks Richard.

Rich looks at you surprised when you order a Jameson on the rocks. He should've known you'd order something like that from how you were dressed. He tells Lacey what he wants to drink and then turns to you.

"So, you like the strong stuff?" he asks teasingly.

"Yup!" you reply bouncing to the beat of the music. "Jameson, Jack Daniels, Captain Morgan" you list off. "But I like stuff like Screwdrivers and champagne too. Just depends on where I am at and what mood I'm in." you reply. "I'm almost always willing to try new things."

He hums.

"Here ya are Sweetheart," Lacey says as he passes you both your drinks. "Want me to put it on Scar's tab?" he asks.

Richard raises an eyebrow, "Scar?" he asks you. You giggle. "Scarlett, the red-head I came with tonight. She's my best friend." you explain.

Richard nods and takes out his wallet. He pays for the drinks and then puts his wallet back in his pocket.

You both take your drinks to the table and sit. You watch Aiden dancing with Scarlett and chuckle. "OOOHHHH Sam isnt gonna like that if he finds out she was dancin with a guy instead of me!" you chuckle.

Richard looks at them then back at you and raises an eyebrow. "Who's Sam?" he asks.

"Her Boyfriend." you reply.

Richard coughs from his drink. "Why is she out with you instead of her boyfriend?" he asks.

You grin. "We were celebrating and he didn't want to join us." you explain.

Richard looks at you confused. "Celebrating?" he asks.

You nod and take another swig of your whiskey. "Yeah. I just got cleared by my doctor to resume normal activities after being on strict limitations. I had major surgery right after Christmas that practically put me on bed rest." You explain. "I was ok'd today to go back to my normal activities, So we went shopping for a new wardrobe, she got me a makeover and we came here to celebrate." you tell him. 

He chuckles. "I can understand you coming here for celebrating, but why the makeover and shopping spree?" he asks as the two of you watch the dancing out on the floor and nurse your drinks.

"My boyfriend of 3 years dumped me like a hot potato when I told him I was having this major surgery. He got mad at me and degraded me and said a lot of horrible things to me that made me feel like crap. I've battled depression and poor self esteem for my whole life. Scarlett was just trying to help me out of a bout of it that i had after the surgery." you explained. "She tried to get me to feel pretty, sexy and confident." you tell him.

"Ah." Richard nodded, understanding the self-esteem part all too well. "And did it work?" he asked

"Sort of." you reply. "I'm definitely _not_ pretty or sexy, but I do feel more confident with my new corset on." you tell him.

"Well it's his loss." he tells you as he reaches across the table and puts his hand on yours.

You look at him confused, "Huh?"

"Your boyfriend, he was a fool for leaving a beautiful and incredibly sexy woman like you like he did." he replied as he stood and came to stand in front of you. He tucked a strand of hair behind your ear that had come loose. You stared at him in disbelief.

"Would you like to dance for a bit?" he asked.

You grinned and downed the rest of your drink, smirking at the shocked look on his face. You let him pull you out to the dance floor and the two of you danced the night away as Graham and Martin and Martin's wife looked on from the upper deck.

"Graham, who's the lady Richard is dancing with?" Martin's wife asked.  
Graham shook his head. "I don't know who she is. I only saw her and that red haired lass that Aiden's dancin' with when they were shopping at the mall earlier today.

"Is THAT the woman you were watching when I was talking to you and Aiden on the phone?" Martin asked, flabbergasted. He looked down to the dance floor when Graham nodded at him.

"Hot Damn!" Martin said, earning a smack from his wife.

He looked up at her confused and she smirked at him. "Look, but no touching!" she reminded him.

He grinned mischievously, "Sweetheart, the only one getting touched by these mitts is you!" he told her and grabbed her to give her a passionate kiss.

Graham chuckled and teased, "Get a room you two!"

Martin's wife teased back, "Aw, come on, Graham, you know what it's like to be in love! How come your wife doesn't join you on your travels?" she asked.

Graham sighed. "She hates flying. And she takes care of the kids and grandkids while I'm gone. She doesn't want to be in the spotlight and wants to keep her anonymity." he replies.

"Unlike somepeople..." Martin teases his wife and gives her a squeeze. She chuckles and looks down at Richard and you dancing.

"She has an unusual beauty to her. I wonder what attracted him to her?" she pondered out loud.

Graham chuckles. "Hmmm, a mysterious, beauty, dressed in all black leather with long, soft raven hair... gee, I don't know what he was thinking..." he tells her teasingly

She rolls her eyes. "Men." she snorts.

They both just chuckle.

\--------

After a while, Scarlett and Aiden come over to you and Richard and the four of you head back to the table. Scarlett goes to get drinks and brings them back. You are feeling pretty buzzed by now and happily take the Jameson from her.

You take a swig and sigh contentedly as you let it sit on your tongue for a moment before swallowing. Aiden chuckles. "I don't think I've met someone who downs whiskey like you do!" he teases. "How many have you had now?" he asks.

"Four... i think or is it five now?" You grin and finish the glass in two gulps. Savoring the flavor before you swallow each one. Both Richard and Aiden's eyes open wide and you smile, popping the small ice cubes into your mouth one at a time. "I like to enjoy the flavor on my tongue before swallowing it." you tease and wink.

"I'm amazed you aren't totally hammred!" Aiden replies with a mischievous grin and winks at Richard. The two men talk for a couple minutes about a coworker who liked whiskey, but you ignored them.

"Scarlett, you better be careful and make sure Sam doesn't find out about tonight." you whisper to her as Aiden and Richard talk. She giggles. "I don't really care at the moment, he can go pound sand for all I care. I'm tired of his controlling nature. He never wants to do anything with me." she tells you and you shrug. "You might want to let Aiden know so he isn't caught unawares." you tell her.

Richard asks you if you'd like to dance some more and you nod. The two of you head out onto the dance floor.

"What was with all the whispering?" he asked.  
"I was just warning her to be careful with Aiden. I don't want him getting hurt. Scarlett is dating a guy who is very controlling and only wants her for one thing. He refuses to do anything outside of the bedroom with her and she is getting tired of it. I have had my doubts that they would stay together for very much longer. She is an outgoing person and loves to socialize. I just don't want their breakup to be blamed on Aiden." you explain.

"Ah." he says.

The two of you dance for a while then head back to the table. You sit and lean against the table. Popping another ice cube in your mouth to suck on.

"Would you like another drink?" Richard asks. You shake your head. "No, I better lay off the whiskey, it's gettin late and we are gonna have to head out soon." you tell him.

Richard frowns. "You sure?" he asks.

You nod. "Yeah. Thanks tho for the one you did get me."

He nods.

You look around for Aiden and Scarlett. "Where did they go?" you ask nervously.

Richard looks puzzled. "Who?"

"Aiden and Scarlett. She's my ride home." you tell him.

"I'm gonna go check and see if she is in the Ladies' room. I'll be right back." you tell him.

You head to Lacey and ask him where the Ladies' room is, he points to the back wall and you nod and thank him.

You stumble across the dance floor and over to the restrooms. You go to open the Ladies' room door and find it's locked. You put an ear to the door and hear two people having sex. You knock on the door and holler, "Scarlett, you in there?"

You hear them pause and a lady replies, "No one in here by that name, hon."

You apologize and head back to the table you were at. You look around for Richard and don't see him. You look up into the upper deck and see him up there talking to Martin and Graham. He sees you down on the floor and heads back down to the table.

"Graham said they left when we went back onto the dance floor." he tells you.

You sit down on the chair, rub your forehead and groan." Ugh! I hope they went to Aiden's place and not hers or there could be problems." you tell him.

"You gonna be ok?" he asks you. "Yeah. I'll just call one of my other friends to come get me." you reply.

"I can give you a ride if you want." he offers.

"Thanks, but I'm not entirely comfortable with that yet. No offense. I just haven't had the greatest luck with guys i just met knowing where I live." you tell him. He raises an eyebrow.

You sigh. "I'm sorry, I gotta go." you tell him. "Thanks for the dancing and the drink." you tell him and turn to head to the coat check.

Richard stands and watches you head out. He frowns, something was bugging him about your reaction and he couldn't put a finger on what it was. He watched you put your coat on. He followed you at a distance and watched as you started to walk out the door. You stopped to thank the bouncer for letting you in and then you began to walk down the block.

"She surely isn't going to walk home?!?" he thought. He frowned again. Then realized he didn't even get your name or your phone number. He facepalmed annoyed with himself. He watched you disappear into the darkness and prayed you got home safe.

He turned to head back in and Joe looked at him. "You just gonna let her walk home alone?" he asked.

"I offered her a ride, but she declined. Said she was going to call her friend for a ride. Maybe they live nearby." Richard replied.

Joe nodded. He opened the door and let Richard back in.

The rest of the night, Richard thought about you, worried, and wondered if you made it home all right.

By the time he got home, it was early morning. He knew he was going to have a headache and had to be up in 6 hours for makeup and hair.

Groaning, he stripped out of his clothes took a couple of aspirin with some water and climbed into bed. He set his alarm on his phone and plugged it in. Then drifted off to sleep dreaming about the mysterious woman in black.


	2. Chapter 2

It was around midnight when you left the bar. You remember looking at the clock above Lacey’s head. You’ve been walking for it seems like forever. You’re annoyed. You forgot your phone at the apartment where you had it plugged in to charge. You have no flashlight, no way to call anyone, and your best friend ditched you to go shag a famous actor for the night.

Maybe you should’ve let Richard drive you home. Well too late now you think to yourself. You sigh quietly. You are almost home. Two more blocks.

All during the 12 mile walk home you kept feeling like someone was watching you. Once in a while you’d stop and look around nervously. You felt like a mouse sneaking around in a big house knowing there’s a cat somewhere in the vicinity who will try to catch and kill you if she sees you. It was making you nervous and uneasy.

You stopped two blocks from your house where a street lamp was located at the end of a driveway for an apartment. There was a metal dumpster by the end of the garage. You stood in the lamplight and froze. You heard the noise of something moving in the shadows quietly. You turned and tried to see any movement. You put your hand at the bottom of your corset where you had a knife hidden.

Suddenly he stepped out of the shadows and snickered menacingly. You gasped and stepped back quickly towards the dumpster.

It was your ex. “What was he doing here?” you briefly thought. He looked you up and down with lustful eyes. “So you little fucking whore, did you have that surgery or were you just lying to get me to leave you?” he asked snarling.

You squeaked out, “Yes, I had it. You know I didn’t have much of a choice.”

He growls, “And what are you doing out this late at night walking in the dark, unchaperoned dressed like a fucking whore?” He asks, taking another step closer.

You back up another step. “That’s none of your damn, business, asshole. You left and I don’t belong to you anymore.” You tell him.

He growls. “Is that so? Well I told you no man would desire a relationship with you. You’re incomplete, defective and only useful for one thing now…and I’m going to use you for it with pleasure, now that I don’t have to wear a fucking condom and worry about getting you knocked up.” He leers.

He lunges at you and you shriek and quickly evade him. He growls and lunges at you again. You evade him a second time and put your back to the dumpster. You see him charge at you, cursing and just before he grabs you, you duck and roll to the side and he crashes into the dumpster head first and knocks himself out.

When you see he doesn’t move, you book it for your apartment and race up the stairs. You get into your apartment and lock the door and the deadbolt.

You look at the clock in the kitchen and it’s 1:45am. You keep all the lights off in the apartment and race to where you left your phone. You call the cops and tell dispatch what happened and where his body was. They tell you they will send an officer and an ambulance over to that location immediately. He gets your contact information and current location. He tells you to stay there and they will send the officer over once they have your ex in custody.

You hang up from talking with dispatch and then text Scarlet:

“ _Thanks for leaving me without a ride. I had to walk the 12 miles home alone without my phone. Ex attacked me two blocks from home and I managed to escape after he ran into the dumpster head first and knocked himself out. Matter of time before he comes to and comes to the apartment to rape me, which he said was his intent. Terrified he will do it and kill me. Called the cops and they’re sending an ambulance and officers to go get him.”_

You hit send then pulled out your two suitcases, put all the new purchases into the big one, emptied your dresser and closet into the suitcases, packed up all your treasured possessions and put it all in your two suitcases. Then you put all your makeup and toiletries into your backpack along with your laptop, chargers for your computer and phone, and then put them all in the hall closet by the bathroom. You grabbed your pillow and set it on top of the suitcase. Then you fold up your comforter and blankets and set them with the pillow.

Scarlet texted you back:

“ _I’m SO SORRY!!! I thought you’d go home with Richard since he was so enamored with you! Why didn’t you let him take you home to your apartment?”_

You replied with a reminder of what happened the last time you allowed a guy you just met to take you home.

She called you.

“Honey, I’m SO sorry! Where are you now?” she asks.

You tell her you’re in your apartment. You’ve locked the door to the apartment, and left all the lights off. You packed everything you want to take with you into your two suitcases and your backpack and you are packing up your pillow, blankets and comforter. You need to find a new place to live while he is in the cop’s custody. Someplace where he can’t find you and stalk you.

You hear Aiden’s voice and he says, “Sweetheart you need to get out of there! If he is stalking you and attacking you, you should be able to get a restraining order!” he tells you.

“That is just it though, he hasn’t attacked me since December, and even then, it was only verbal abuse. They won’t do anything until he lays a finger on me and no one witnessed tonight’s attack so it’s my word against his, and since he never actually touched me tonight, I don’t know if I will be able to get a restraining order. It’s my word against his.” You tell him.

Well hang tight and we’ll come get you, ok?” he tells you. “If anything happens in the mean time, text us, Ok?” Scarlet tells you.

“Ok, Scar.” You tell her.

“See you soon, sweetie.” She says and hangs up.

A few minutes later you hear a person coming up the stairs and knock on your door. A voice announces, “Miss Harley, it’s Officer Sand with the police, please open the door. We have your ex in custody and need to talk with you.”

You open the door and look through the small gap. There is a uniformed officer standing there. You let him into the apartment. "Are you ok?" you ask, noticing the cuts and scrapes on his face.

"I'll be fine, they're from the scuffle with arresting your ex. I'll get them tended to in a little bit." he tells you.

He asks you if he can talk for a few minutes. You move to the kitchen and invite him to have a seat at the barstools on the peninsula. He sits and you move to make some tea to calm your nerves.

“Miss Harley, you said your ex attacked you tonight?” he asked.

“I think he followed me home from the bar. I had to walk cuz my ride left to shag a guy and forgot about me. I didn’t have my phone on me and I didn’t feel comfortable letting the guy I was dancing with take me home.” You explain.

“I don’t know if my ex just saw me on the way and started following me or if he was waiting near my apartment or if he saw me leave the bar. I know he has been stalking me off and on since December, but I was told I couldn’t get a restraining order until he attacked me.” You explain.

“Anyway, I stopped under the streetlight where you found him cuz I heard a noise. He stepped out of the shadows and into the light, then threatened to rape me and said a bunch of horrible things about how that is all I’m good for now that I can’t bear children. I had to have a hysterectomy in December because of health reasons.” You explain.

“He charged me twice trying to grab me and I was luckily able to evade both attempts. I got backed up to the dumpster by his movements and when he charged again, I evaded him at the last moment and he ran headfirst into the dumpster and collapsed. I figured he knocked himself out. I was afraid he’d come to again so I ran here. As soon as I got inside I locked my doors and called 911 to tell them what happened and to send someone to get him.” You told him.

“As far as I know, no one saw it happen though. So it’s my word against his. And since he wasn’t able to get a hand on me I’m guessing I still can’t get a restraining order.” You reply with a sigh.

The tea kettle starts to whistle, and you remove it from the heat. You pour it into a cup of coffee and toss in your tea bag. “You want a cup?” you ask the officer. He shakes his head, “No. Thanks tho.” He replies.

You sit down next to him and sip your tea. “He gives you a moment, then says, “Actually, Miss Harley, someone did see you get attacked by him. There was a guy outside smoking who saw it all happen. He was still there when we arrived. He was standing by the guy in case he woke up. He told us the same story as what you did and said if we needed him to testify, that he would be willing to do so. You look at him stunned. "Really?" you ask.

He nods. “I will see to it you get a restraining order, Miss Harley.” He tells you. He looks at your suitcases sitting in the hallway. “Are you going somewhere?” he asks.

“I don’t feel safe here any longer. He knows I live here, and I need to find a new apartment where he won’t be able to find me as easily.” You reply.

"My friends are going to come get me in a little bit, so yeah. I will talk to my landlord and let him know I need to break my lease and why. I don’t know how I will be able to find a new apartment though.” You reply. “I’ve been on disability since December and the place I worked at actually just announced they are closing our location. So now I am out of a job as well.” You sigh.

“Let me see what I can do to help.” The officer tells you. “What kind of job are you looking for?” he asks.

You think for a minute. “I think it would be fun to work in a used bookstore or a coffee shop. It’d be cool if there was a business that had the two in one!” you mused out loud.

He chuckled. “I actually know of a place in town. It is near the studios where they film movies on the north end of town. I can give you the name of the place and just tell them I sent you. The owner is a friend of mine and a retired cop.” He tells you.

You look at him in surprise. “Really?” you ask. He nods and pulls out his notepad again. He flips to a new page and writes down the name, the owner’s name and pulls out his phone to look up the phone number. He writes the phone number down and then puts his own name and phone number under it.

“Here, my name and number is at the bottom. If you have any questions or need anything, let me know. I have your number and will keep in touch to see how you’re doing with relocating.” He tells you.

You thank him and hear Scarlet and Aiden coming up the stairs. “My friends are here to get me.” You tell the officer as Scarlet knocks then opens the door and comes in with Aiden.

They look up and see the Officer. “Oh good! How did things turn out?” She asks. The officer tells them he will let you fill them in.

“I need to get going, Miss Harley. You have my number. Keep in contact and we’ll get this worked out for you.” He says. Then heads out to get back to work.

“You ready to head out?” Aiden asks.

“Let me finish my tea, then we can go.” You reply. They take your luggage and bedding down to the car, then come back up.

“So what are you going to do now?” Aiden asks as you wash your mug in the sink, dry it and put it into the cabinet. You dump out the water from the kettle and set it on the trivet on the counter.

You turn and reply, “I have to move. He knows I live here and as soon as he is released, he will come looking for me. A piece of paper won’t stop him. Restraining orders mean nothing to him." you tell Aiden.

" Oh and I just found out when I got home from shopping that the company I work for is closing our branch location so now I have no job to go back to. So on top of needing to move, I now have to find a new job as well.” You sigh.

“Oh Har! Why didn’t you say something earlier!?!” Scarlett exclaimed.

“Because I wanted to celebrate the small accomplishment of not going stir crazy the past three months.” I need to get away from this end of town. The officer who was here says there’s a business near the film studios on the north end of town that a friend of his owns. The friend is a retired cop. This officer gave me his friend’s contact info and said to tell him that he referred me to the guy. He thinks his friend might hire me. So I’ll go check that out tomorrow. If he hires me, I guess I will look for a place near there so I can just walk to work since I don’t drive.” You explain.

“I can give you a lift to that end of town tomorrow morning!” Aiden offers. “I have some friends who are filming at the studio and we’re gonna meet up for an early breakfast before they have to go film” he tells you.

“Thanks Aid,” you say, “that would be great.” You reply. “Now I just gotta figure out where to spend the night.” You sigh.

“You’re coming home with me and Scarlett.” Aiden says. “I have a two bedroom place and you can crash in the spare bedroom or out on the couch, it’s up to you.” He tells you.

“Really?!? That won’t be too awkward for you two?” you ask, surprised. “What are you gonna tell Sam, Scarlett? He won’t be too happy when you don’t come home! And will be pissed if he found out you went home with someone you met at the bar!” you say.

“Don’t worry, Har, we talked about it and I’m moving out and breaking up with Sam. Aiden said I can stay here with him as he travels a lot with filming.” Scarlett explains.

You look at Aiden surprised. He gives you a grin and a wink. “Yup. You’re welcome to be her roommate if ya like.” You thank him, but tell them you will only agree to stay till you can find your own place. “Though I won’t mind coming over to hang out with you two and your friends, Aiden.” You amend.

He chuckles and winks.

You all head out and you make sure all the lights are shut off and you lock the door to the apartment.

The three of you head to Aiden’s car and climb in. He drives you both to his place and they help you carry in your suitcases. You opt for the bedroom and they take the luggage in there.

You look around his spacious apartment in awe. “WOW!” you exclaim.

He chuckles. “My room is on the other side, down that hall.” He tells you. “You have your own bathroom in your room and there’s another one for guests in the hallway on your side of the apartment.” He explains and gives you a tour of his apartment. “There’s a pool and hot tub on the ground level along with work out equipment. Feel free to use it whenever you like while you’re here or when you come to visit.” He tells you.

“Wow!” you say again and look at Scarlett in disbelief.” She grins. “I know, Right?!?” she giggles.

You yawn and tell them you’re gonna get to bed. “What time do I need to be ready for, Aiden?” you ask. “Be ready for 6:30am.” He replied. You look at the clock and groan. “Ok. Short night of sleep, I guess.” You reply. He just chuckles.

“See you in the morning, Harley.” He tells you. You nod and watch as he and Scarlett head for his room on the other side of the apartment.


	3. Chapter 3

You wake to the sound of your alarm going off and you moan. Opening your eyes you grab your cell and turn off the alarm. Groaning, you get up and head for the shower. After you freshen up you head to your suitcases and toss them on the bed. Opening them you dig through and pull out your black skinny jeans, black blouse, and the black corset with the silver clasps and shoulder straps. You took out your coats you bought the other day and hung them up along with your dresses and skirts.

You pull out all the shirts and fold them and put them neatly in your suitcase and then hang up your blouses. You fold all the rest of your clothes and neatly put them in your largest suitcase with your shirts.

Once you had that all taken care of, you dump out your backpack and sort through everything. You put your toiletries and makeup in your bathroom and then put your laptop and chargers back into your backpack.

You brush your long hair and oil it like the stylist showed you how to do, then you put it into a long braid, then look at yourself in the mirror. Sighing you head out of the bedroom and pad down the hallway to the kitchen to find something to eat.

Aiden looks up and his eyes get wide. “Morning hot stuff.” He teases. You roll your eyes. “Really?” you tease back. “I am anything but that! I am a hot mess, but that’s about it!” you tell him.

He looks at you for a moment and shakes his head. “You almost ready to head out?” he asks. You raise an eyebrow. “I was gonna grab some breakfast.” You reply.

“But we’re going out for breakfast!” he tells you. “You said you were meeting your friends for breakfast, Aid. I was just going to catch a ride as far as the studio and then walk around and get a feeling for the neighborhood and see what there is for apartments.” You inform him.

“Well, go get your shoes on and grab a coat and umbrella then, it’s raining out today.” He tells you. “I gotta get going soon and Scarlett is joining me to meet up with the guys from the studio.”

“Ok.” You reply and head back to your room. You look at your new boots and decide to wear the flat ones today. You grab a pair of socks and put them on then pull on your boots. You grab your hooded trenchcoat you just bought and your black backpack with your laptop. You make sure your wallet and phone are in the pocket and that you have your keys and your knife on you and you head back to the kitchen.

Scarlett comes out and grins. “Hey sexi!” she greets you. You roll your eyes. “You must be talking to Aid, he’s the only other sexy one in the room besides you, Scar.” You tell her.

She frowns. “You’re sexi too, Har! I mean look at you dressed in those skinny jeans and black clothes and hot damn, that corset!!!” she replies. You wave her off and put on your jacket.

“I’m ready to head out, Aid.” You tell him. He nods and puts the lid on his thermos cup of coffee. “Ok, ladies, let’s go.” He says. You all follow him out of the apartment. Aiden locks the door and turns to you. “Here.” He says and hands you a set of keys. “These are keys so you can get into the building and my apartment when ever you need to. OK?” he tells you as he pushes them into your hands.”

You look up at him stunned. “But…” he puts a finger to your mouth to silent you. “No buts, Harley. Consider this a safe house for you when ever you need it. I have already added Scarlett to the lease and told my manager and the door man that you are a guest here off and on as it is needed.” He tells you. You look from him to the keys and then to Scarlett, who is beaming.

You sigh and nod. “Ok.” You say quietly and hook the keys onto your keychain.

Aiden and Scarlett grin and you all head down to the parking garage. You get in the back seat of his BMW and he drives you three to the studios. You ask him to drop you off just outside the studios and though he doesn’t understand why you don’t want to join them, he obliges.

You thank him for the ride and he tells you they will call you when they are getting ready to head for home. You nod and watch as they pull into the studio’s gate. You start walking and pull out the paper that Officer Sand gave you. You pause at the corner as you enter the address into your phone. It directs you to turn right and so you do so and start to walk. You get about a half a block down and you see Aiden’s BMW stop at the corner and then turn left.

You keep your head down and continue to walk and follow the map on your phone. You walk about six blocks from the studio, and you find the used bookstore. It has a sign on the outside that reads “Help Wanted”. You approach the door and see there are hours posted. It opens at 7:30am. You pull out your phone and see it is 7am. You sigh.

Standing there looking at your map on your phone trying to figure out if there is any place nearby where you can go for some breakfast, you fail to notice a figure approach the door until you hear the lock click.

You startle and look up to see a big, burly man standing there with a puzzled look on his face. He opens the door and asks, “Can I help you, Miss?” in a low, gravely voice. You blush and realize he looks a LOT like officer Sand.

“Um… Officer Sand told me to come here and see if you’d hire me for a job. He said you were lookin for some help to run your shop.” You tell him.

He chuckles and opens the door for you. “He did, did he? Well then, Miss, come in and let’s have a chat.” He replies, grinning. “I’m Todd.” He tells you.

You turn off your phone and put it in your backpack, then follow him in. “He said you were a friend and a retired Officer.” You mention. “But you look close to the same age as officer Sand.” You say puzzled.

Todd chuckles. “It’s true, I’m retired, and actually Officer Sand and I are the same age.” He chuckles.

You look confused. “Then why are you retired, if you don’t mind me asking?” you question.

He smiles and motions for you to have a seat at the counter. “I got injured in the line of duty and couldn’t work for quite a long time. When I got out of the hospital, I realized that a desk job was not for me, so I asked to retire from the force.” He explained.

“Oh. So how did you end up here?” you inquired.

He chuckles, “I combined my two favourite things, good stories and coffee / chocolates.” He replied. “My business is one of a kind. My customers enjoy being able to get a coffee, or a cocoa, and find a nook in my store to curl up in and discover a good book.” He explains. “They can buy the books, swap them with one they bring in or they can rent the books.” He tells you. “I keep track of the books in stock and who rents them using software on my computer. Each book is assigned a barcode and given a sticker, which gets scanned when it is sold or traded. The barcode is then removed. If they rent the book, it is scanned and stays in the book. They get two weeks to read them or they can call or come in and renew it for another two weeks.” He explains.

My brothers in blue often come here on their days off to relax and catch me up on what’s going on. Some of the actors from the studio down the way have also discovered my shop and will sneak over here on their breaks or they send their assistants to get them coffees and books. He tells you.

Your eyes open wide. “Really?” you ask. He nods. “Now, what would you like to drink while we discuss this job opportunity my brother wants me to consider you for?”

You look at him surprised, “Wait, Officer Sand is your BROTHER?!?!?” you ask, surprised.

The burly man named Todd chuckles. “Yes, lass, he is my little brother… my twin brother, Alex, though to be fair, I was born first.” He tells you. “He just doesn’t like to work out like I do.” He chuckles again flexing his massive arms.

You shake your head and smile. “I wondered why you looked rather familiar!” you tell him.

He laughs and you grin. “What kinds of drinks do you offer besides just coffee and cocoa?” you ask.

He pulls out a menu and hands it to you. Your eyes light up and you tell him you know how to make most of these drinks, which makes him grin.

“Could I have a French Vanilla Cappuccino?” you ask. He nods. “What size would you like?” he asks pointing to the cup display.

You smirk and suddenly think dirty thoughts. You giggle and say “the Large please.”

He chuckles and makes you your cappuccino. He hands it to you and then asks. “So how did you end up meeting my little brother?”

You sigh and then tell him your story. After a few minutes, of him asking various questions and you answering them, he hums. “Well how about I show you around and you tell me what you think.” He says.

You nod.

“Here, hang your coat and bag on that hook over there behind the cabinet.” He tells you.

You do so and then he takes you, cappuccino in hand, on a tour of the bookstore/coffeeshop.

You are amazed at all the different little nooks and crannies he has scattered throughout the two story store. Every inch is either massive floor to ceiling shelves of books, complete with rolling ladders to reach the upper shelves or there was cozy nooks to read, complete with oversized pillows and cozy blankets and little tables or shelves to put drinks on.

You squeal with delight when he shows you the coffee shop area. You are nearly dancing with glee when you see the expresso machine and the cappuccino machine. He chuckles and says, “So sweetheart, what do you think?”

“Ooohhh! I love it! The atmosphere is just perfect, and I like how you have the coffee shop set up! The only thing you could use is some plants to green things up a bit.” You suggest.

He laughs, “Well, I have a black thumb when it comes to plants, Sweetheart. I tend to kill them” he replied.

“I could take care of them if you’d like to give it another go with them. I love plants!” you tell him. He grins.

“Well, what kind of hours and pay are you lookin for, Sweetheart?” he asks.

“I don’t have much else to do but work, Sir, I will work as much as you like, as far as pay, I just need enough to live off of. Whatever you think is fair.” You reply.

“What’s your name, Sweetheart?” he asks.

“Harley, Sir.” You reply.

He grins, “Well, that will be easy to remember!” he chuckles. “Welcome aboard, Harley.” He tells you. You want to start now, or would you rather start tomorrow?” he asks.

“I can start now. If it’s ok with you!” you squeal excitedly. He smiles and heads over to the desk.

“Well, let’s start with the paperwork and figure out your hours. For the next couple weeks.” He tells you.

The two of you go over the paperwork and come up with a schedule for you.

You tell him about your living situation and how you are looking for a one bedroom apartment close by because of you ex stalking you. He nods. “There’s a couple of reasonable apartments nearby I know the owners of them. I can take you over there after we’re done for the day if you like.”

You look at him in disbelief. “Really? Oh! Um, Thanks! That would be great! Aiden is nice and all, but I feel like I’m imposing and he lives quite a ways away from this part of town so I don’t want to have to get rides from him all the time.” You explain.

Todd just laughs. “Aiden is a great guy and has a kind spirit. He likes to help people.” He tells you.”

You two talk and he shows you where everything is for the coffee shop area once you finish the paperwork. He explains that he has a pastry shop nearby deliver pastries every morning at 6:30am which he sells to go along with the coffees.

A few guests come in and he introduces you to them. You watch as he makes their orders and rings them up. He shows you how to work the tills and lets you handle the tills and take orders while he makes the drinks and helps answering your questions when they come up.

Around 9am, he tells you to take a 15 min break and have a drink and a pastry.

You thank him and tell him you need to call your landlord and explain what happened. He nods and you go make your call in the back area. Once you explained what happened, the landlord agrees to let you break your lease and tells you to leave your keys on the counter when you get everything moved out. You apologize again and tell him that you are so sorry for the problems your ex has caused. He tells you not to worry about it and that you were a good tenant and that he will miss you. He wishes you better luck in the future and the two of you hang up.

Around 10am, it slows down, and Todd has you go around the bookshop and check all the little nooks for any cups and dishes left behind. He tells you there are 24 nooks to check and hands you a little map of where to go for each one. He hands you a grey dish tub to put the dishes in, and sends you into the shop to go collect dishes.

Shortly after you head into the bookshop, Aiden, Scarlett, Graham and Richard come in and order some drinks to go.

Todd talks with them as he completes the orders and rings them up. You come around the corner and see them standing there and dash back and hide so they don’t see you. You wait for them all to leave before rejoining your boss behind the counter.

“You just missed Aiden and his friends!” your boss tells you. You shrug and nod. “They come in here a lot?” you ask.

He shakes his head. “No, just once in a while. Though, the bald guy comes in here more often. Never seen the tall dark haired one before though. He was looking around quite a bit. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him back.” Your boss says.

“Oh.” You reply as you head for the sink area in back. “Do you want me to wash these for you?” you ask Todd.

“Sure, if you want.” He replies. You nod and start to wash the dishes.

The two of you spend the rest of the morning going over how to make each drink and he is impressed at your knowledge of coffee-based drinks.

“Have you ever though about adding teas to your menu?” you ask.

He rubs his chin. “No, can’t say that I have. I guess I don’t know much about teas.” He replies.

“I love them.” You reply. “If you’d like to try some different ones, I can bring in my collection. We can try a different one each day.” You offer.

He smiles. “Okay.” He says.

You grin and pull up on the computer the website you order your teas from. You show him all the different flavors and he is surprised. “Wow! I never knew there were so many flavors!” he exclaims.

You explain that some people drink the teas hot, while others like them cold. Some people like it with milk or cream, some add sugar. “Just like with coffee.” You tell him.

He nods. “How about I order their sample box, so we don’t have to use up your personal stash?” He offers.

You shrug. “It’s up to you, Sir. It’s your shop.” You tell him with a shrug.

He chuckles and places the order online and has it shipped to the store. “It should be here by next week.” He tells you. “In the meantime, you can bring your teas and we’ll sample them till my order arrives. I will refill what we use from your stash when my order gets here.” He tells you.

“Ok.” You reply.

Todd looks at the clock. “It’s almost noon, how about you go take your lunch break and I’ll watch the shop.” He suggests.

“Ok, you nod. Where’s a good place to get some lunch around here?” you ask. “I am not familiar with this end of town yet. I lived on the South end.” You explain.

He tells you there are a bunch of shops a couple blocks East of here and there’s a variety of tastes to choose from. “If I give you an order and some cash, would you pick me up something on your way back here?” Todd asks you.

“Sure Todd.” You say.

He writes down the name of the shop to go to, his order and gives you a $20 then sends you on your way. You don your hooded trench and grab your wallet and phone, shoving them and Todd’s order into the inner pocket of your trench.

“I’ll leave my backpack here.” You tell Todd. “I’ll be back in about a half an hour.” You tell him after he shows you how to clock out for lunch on the computer.

He nods and tells you to have a good lunch.


	4. Chapter 4

You flip your hood up as it is raining again, and head East towards the restaurants Todd said were a few blocks away.

As you walk, you text Scarlett that you got a job, and the owner is a retired cop, who is the twin brother to the Officer Sand you met last night.

You ask her not to tell anyone, not even Aiden, where you are working, yet. You tell her your boss knows some nice apartment owners nearby and has offered to take you to meet them and to look at some apartments.

She replies back that she is happy you found a job and that she is sorry to hear you won’t be staying in the apartment with them.

You text back that the apartment is too far away from your job and you don’t want to have to get rides back and forth from work or have to take public transportation. You prefer walking to and from work.

You ask her how things are going and what all they did this morning. She tells you she got to meet a bunch of famous actors who are friends with Aiden, and that Richard was asking about you. She tells you he wants to see you again and was worried whether or not you got home ok. She tells you Aiden told him about what happened, and Richard was upset, but calmed down when Aiden told him you were safe now and that the ex was in police custody.

She asked if you were going to be needing a ride back to the apartment, and you told her you weren’t sure. It depended on how things went with the apartment hunting.

She texted to let her know and they’d come get you when you were ready if you needed them to.

You arrived at the intersection of the block and your jaw dropped. To the left and the right was all kinds of little shops with different themed restaurants. Chinese, Taiwanese, Burger joints, Pizza joints, Sushi, chicken, ice cream, tacos, steak, all kinds of different tastes.

Your mouth began to water. You wanted a cheese burger and fries, so you headed to the closest burger joint and got a cheese burger meal to go with a chocolate shake. You looked at Todd’s order and he wanted Chinese, so you head there next and order his food to go. You hand the cashier the $20 and she gives you the change, stowing it and your phone in your inner pocket of the trench. You take the food and head out into the rain and walk quickly towards the shop.

You aren’t paying much attention to your surroundings, when you hear people ahead of you talking and you keep your head down. You hear someone give a cat call, which you ignore and keep walking as they pass you talking and laughing in the rain.

You look up when you hear a familiar voice behind you and you glance back and see Graham looking back at you. He gives you a wink and turns back to talking with the group of people he was with. The one next to him you think might have been Richard, who was engrossed in a conversation with someone next to him. You see Graham elbow him and say something and you quickly turn and keep walking.

You hear footsteps behind you, getting closer and you feel someone put a hand on your shoulder gently stopping you. When you turn and look to see who it is, Richard is standing there, holding an umbrella and looks down at you. You look up and see him smiling at you. “Hi!” he says.

“Didn’t think I’d see you so soon. I realized after you left last night, that I didn’t get your name or phone number. I was wondering if you’d like to go out for coffee or tea or something sometime. I had a good time with you last night.” He said nervously.

You smiled. “I had fun too, Richard.” You reply and smile when you see his face brighten at you remembering his name. “I’m Harley.” You tell him.

His eyes get huge. “You’re the Harley that Aiden and Scarlett were talking about?!?” he asks surprised.

You duck your head and nod. “Yeah. Though, I don’t know what all they said about me.” You say quietly.

Richard turns to face you and gently lifts your chin to look at him. “They said your ex attacked you last night and you had to call the cops and stay at Aiden’s with him and Scarlett.” He tells you and sees you cringe and nod.

“I’m sorry you got attacked, Sweetheart. That’s why I wanted to take you home. I was worried about you for the rest of the evening after you left, wondering if you got home okay.” He tells you.

You blush and look down, but he keeps his hand under your chin. “If you need a place to stay till this works out, I have a flat close by. You’re welcome to stay there. I know Aiden lives quite a ways away from here.” He tells you.

“Thanks, Richard, but I’m looking at some apartments tonight with my boss. He’s a retired cop and knows some people who own apartments nearby.” You tell him. “His brother is handling my case with my ex.”

Richard nods, and hands you one of his cards with his name, phone number and personal e-mail. “If you need anything or want some help moving, let me know, ok?” he tells you. “Or if you get lonely and just want to talk or hang out.” He says with a grin. “I gotta get going and get some lunch now, we’re on our break from filming.” He informs you. “Good luck with the apartment hunting.” He says as he gives your arm a gentle squeeze, then takes a step away and looks down at you.

You look at the card and then back up at him. “Thanks Richard.” you tell him and put the card in your coat pocket. He nods and hurries to catch up with his friends, who had stopped to wait for him.

You kept walking and before you turned to the coffee shop, you glanced back to make sure they were not able to see you turn in. They had gone around the corner and were no longer in sight, so you entered the bookstore/coffee shop with lunch for you and Todd.

You stood in the doorway for a moment to let the water run off your jacket. Todd looked up when the bell rang and came over to get the food from you. He chuckled when he saw the bag with your burger and fries. “well that’s gonna make for an interesting smell with the Chinese!” he teases, making you giggle.

You took your coat off and carefully shook off the water, hanging it up behind the cabinet after you came into the kitchen area.

Your phone started ringing and you look at Todd questioningly. He replies, “Go ahead and answer it, Sweetheart.”

You answer it and it is Alex. He tells you the judge approved the Restraining order and he has the paperwork for you. He also informs you that someone anonymously posted bail for your ex and that he is on the loose again. He tells you to NOT go back to your old apartment.

You gasp when Alex tells you your ex is free from Jail and your knees buckle. You drop to the floor and sit there stunned. Tod comes running over and helps you up and sits you on the chair at his desk.

He asks what is the matter, and you just hand him the phone. He says, “Hello? Oh, Hi Alex! Yeah, she is here… yeah, I hired her… thanks for sending her here… What?!? Oh no!!! Yea, bring it here. We were gonna go look at the apartments the O’Malleys own after work…Ok. See you in a few.” He replies and hangs up.

You’re sitting on the chair trembling. “How could they just let him go like that after what he did?!?” you ask as he hands the phone back to you. He sighs and squats down, his knees popping.

“If someone posted bail for him, Sweetheart, they had no choice but to release him. However, he is required to show up for his court hearing or they will put a warrant out for his arrest. You have the restraining order, so he is not to come near you no matter where you are.” He tells you.

You put your head in your hands and cry. “A piece of paper like that means nothing to him. If he finds me, he will attack me and rape me like he threatened to. To him, I’m nothing more than a fuck toy, now that I can’t have babies.” You say as you cry.

He tries to comfort you and hears the bell at the door. “Stay here, Sweetheart, I gotta go get this.” He tells you and heads to the front to see who came in.

A minute later, Alex is coming back and finds you with your head in your hands crying quietly.

He squats down, and rubs your back. “I know, Sweetheart, those of us who were there to arrest him last night are not too happy about this. The judge didn’t make the bail high enough for us to keep him in custody.” He tells you.

“I need to get my stuff out of my apartment. How am I going to do that now? He will be somewhere near the apartment now, waiting till he sees me and then will follow me to find out where I’m staying!” you cry.

“I’ll tell you what, Sweetheart, let me check with the guys who were with me that night, maybe we can go and pack up your place for you and take it to a storage facility until you get a new place, then we’ll help you move into it.” He tells you. “That way your ex won’t see you and won’t be able to follow you at least from that point. And since you’re now on the other end of town and employed by an ex-cop, you’ll be safer than if you were on your own.” He says.

“The O’Malleys are a great Irish couple who worked with us on the beat. Mr. O’Malley was a detective for our precinct, and will keep an eye on your ex and you if we tell him what is going on. Ok? They live right on site and their buildings are secure and quiet.” He tells you.

“Here is the restraining order for you. Keep it with you at all times.” He tells you.

You nod. “Thanks.”

Alex sighs, “I gotta get going, Harley, but my big bro will be here with you, so you have nothing to worry about, ok?”

You nod again. He gives your shoulder a squeeze. “I’ll keep in touch with you and let you know what my co-workers say about helping you with the move. See you later.” He tells you and heads out to the front.

You hear him talk with Todd and then you hear the bell ding when he leaves.

Suddenly you aren’t hungry for your burger. You take it and put it in the fridge for later. You take out the fries from the bag and open the top of the shake. You absentmindedly dip your fries in the chocolate shake and munch on them. Then you text Scarlett and tell her what happened.

She replies “OH NO!!! Now what are you going to do!?!”

You reply, “Officer Sand is going to see if his co-workers will help him go to the apartment and pack up all the rest of my stuff. They said they’d put it in a secure storage facility and will move them into my new apartment when I find one.”

She texts back, “Are you still going to look at the apartments tonight with your boss?”

You reply, “Yeah, apparently the owner is a former detective that worked with Officer Sand and his brother. They say I will be safe there. He is Irish and they said they will inform him on what’s going on and what to look out for. Apparently, the owners live on site and keep the apartment secured pretty well.”

Scarlett replies, “Ok, keep me posted. Richard says his offer still stands, by the way.”

You reply, “Will keep you posted. Tell Richard, thanks.”

Todd comes back after a couple minutes to see how you’re doing. He finds you dunking french fries into your chocolate shake and chuckles.

“You ok, Harley?” he asks as he sits down next to you.

You shrug, “Just kind of shocked, I guess. And very scared now.”

He sighs, “Yeah, these judges just don’t understand the emotions and fear they cause when they release these guys to such a low bail. If it was their daughter being attacked, the guy would never see the light of day, but since it’s some person with no face to put to the name, they seem to care less.” He tells you.

“We arrest them, the judges give em a low bail amount, they make bail and are back out on the streets, often in the same night they were arrested! A day or two later, we’re arresting them for the same damn thing again!” he tells you, frustrated.

“It’s one of the reasons I asked to retire. Got tired of working in a broken system.” He tells you. “We’ll do our best to keep you safe, kiddo. You’re gonna need to learn to be mindful of your surroundings, though. Do you know any kind of self defense?” he asks.

You shake your head, “All I have is this…” you tell him, pulling your knife out of your corset’s underside.  
  


He chuckles, “After work one of these evenings, let me and Alex show you how to defend yourself with this so your ex doesn’t end up using it on you. Though, I’m glad you have this. It’s more than what most women carry these days.”

You finished eating your fries and shake and then clocked in. Todd showed you how to check in and out the books and how to sell them when people wanted to buy them, and how to do trades, when someone brought in a book to trade for a different one.

He let you run the front while he took his lunch break. You only needed his help a couple times, which impressed him.

After he clocked back in, the two of you talked and you made another sweep of the bookshop looking for dirty dishes left behind by customers.

You brought them back and washed them then set them on the drying rack to dry. You came up to the front and wiped off the tables and chairs to have something to do. You straightened the books and magazines on the tables and swept the floor.

Todd talked with you while you tidied up.

A group of actors from the studio came in just as you were finishing and one gave the same cat call as before, and you recognized a familiar voice. You froze with your back to them and looked at Todd, who noticed your reaction.

“Can I help you gentlemen?” he asked.

You moved behind the counter, keeping your back to them and went to empty out the dustpan.

You snuck out the back and into the bookshop. You took a damp rag with you to wipe up some spills you noticed. You could feel a pair of eyes following you and you tried to ignore it.

You had just finished wiping up a spill on one of the tables in a nook of the bookstore when you heard a warm Scottish accent right behind you. You stood and turned, seeing Graham with a book in hand and a cup of coffee. He grinned and gave you a wink.

“You work here, Lass?” he asked.

“No, I just enjoy cleaning up in various businesses.” You say sarcastically, making him laugh.

“Yer a little spitfire, aren’t ya!” he teased.

You just smirked. “You have no idea.” You thought.

He chuckled again and set his coffee and book down on the table you just had wiped down.

“Are ya doin ok, Lass?” He asked. “Aiden told us what happened the other night.” he said as he gently held your arm.

You shook your head. “I was doing all right till after lunch. Officer Sand called to tell me he got my restraining order against my ex signed off, which he delivered to me a little while ago, but he also told me my ex made bail, and is back out on the streets again.” You said with a shaky voice.

“Aww, Lass, I’m sorry!” he said as he rubbed your upper arm. “Is there anything we can do for you?” he asked.

You shook your head. “Not really. Officer Sand is going to see if his fellow officers are willing to go with him to my old apartment to pack up what I left behind. They are going to put it in a secure storage facility until I find a new apartment. My boss is a retired cop, and he knows some apartment owners who are Irish and were detectives for the precinct that Officer Sand works for. He said they will keep an eye out for my ex and will keep me safe at my apartment if I choose to live there. We are going to go look at it after work tonight.” You tell Graham.

“I’m afraid to go anywhere now. If my ex sees me, he will follow me and wait for the perfect opportunity to attack and rape me. A piece of paper telling him to stay away from me means nothing to him. It will do no real good other than give the cops another reason to arrest him. It will do nothing to protect me.”

Graham frowned. “Sounds like you need a body guard or a guard dog to protect ya, Lass.” He tells you.

You laugh, “Do I look like I have funds to afford that, Graham?” you reply.

He chuckles, “You may not, but others do.” He says with a wink.

You roll your eyes, “I have to get back to work.” You tell him. “Please don’t say anything to anyone that I’m working here. At least not yet.” You ask.

He looks at you funny for a moment, then nods. “Okay, Lass. But You can’t evade him forever. He likes ya and is worried about yer safety. I know you’ve had a rough time with men according to Scarlett, but give Rich a chance. He is a great guy and will treat ya well.”

You look at him surprised. Then duck your head. “I’m just not ready for anything like that yet. I know he likes his privacy and my life is such a mess right now, I don’t want to drag him into it. He doesn’t need that right now.” you say quietly.

Graham gently grabs your face and tilts it up to look at him. “Let him decide if he wants to enter the mess, sweetheart. Sometimes it makes it easier to clean up if you are not doing it alone.” He says and raises an eyebrow.

You sigh and nod.

“Go look at your apartment, but give him a call. Even if it’s just to talk, ok?” he suggests.

“Ok, Graham.” You reply.

“Now go get back to work, so I can read my book.” He teases and lets your face go.

You head back to the front and see Todd. You hold up the rag and he nods.

You come around and help take orders while he fills them. By 7pm, you both have everything cleaned up, have shooed all the customers out, and are locking the doors.

Todd leads you to the back entrance and you grab your jacket and backpack. You put them on since it’s raining again, and he grabs his jacket and you both run for his truck after he locks the back door and sets the alarm.

He drives you about a mile away and pulls up in front of a nice apartment building. He gets out and comes around to help you out of the truck. He leads you up to the apartment building and buzzes the O’Malley’s buzzer.

Mrs. O’Malley answers and he tells her it’s him. She squeals and tells him to come on in and up to the apartment.

Todd leads you up one floor and rings the doorbell. A short, raven-haired woman answers the door with a strong Irish accent, and she invites you both in. She gives Todd a hug and he introduces you to her.

“Meg, this is Harley, she is the one Alex called and talked to you about.” He tells her.

“Oh!!! Yes, I remember! Had a rough patch with an ex?” she asked. You nodded.

“Well, you’ll be safe here, Sweetie! Everyone in the building knows not to let anyone in who is not their guest. If they do, they run the risk of being fined and held responsible for any outcome, or damage the person inflicts or causes.” She tells you.

You nod.

“Jack went to take care of a plumbing issue in apartment 5 so I’ll show you the apartment. It’s right across from us.” she tells you.

The three of you head out the door and across the hallway. She unlocks the door and opens it to reveal a lovely one bedroom unit. It has a bright open floor plan for the living/dining/kitchen area and it faces south and west. The bedroom and bathroom are off to the west side and are bigger than you thought they would be.

You like it immediately. The bathroom is a retro one from the 1950’s and has a powder blue bathtub, sink and toilet. The tub and sink are really deep and you could easily dunk your head into the sink to wash your hair if you wanted.

You came back out and looked around again, trying to think of the furniture you left behind. Picturing where each piece would go. You nod.

“Mrs O’Malley, do you allow pets here?” you ask.

“Well, it depends on the pet, why?” she asks.

“A friend of mine suggested I get a dog that is trained to be a body guard / protection for me since my ex is out on bail and I’m positive he won’t abide by the restraining order. It sounded like my friend knew someone who wanted me to have the dog and wasn’t going to take no for an answer when it comes to my safety. I would make sure the dog is quiet and doesn’t bother anyone and I would clean up after it, so no one is stepping in dog poo.” You assure her. “It would be coming with me when I go places, so it won’t be left home alone.”

“Well considering the circumstances I would be fine with that, but will need to run it by my husband first. Would you be all right with paying a pet deposit just in case there are any pet related damage?” she asks.

“If it is what you require, I guess that’s reasonable.” You reply.

She nods. “Do you have a vehicle? Your unit comes with a garage.” She tells you.

“No, I don’t have a vehicle. I walk most places that I go, unless I’m with my friends, they all have cars.” You reply.

“Well, the garage is yours to use for storage then if you need it.” She tells you. You nod.

“Well, what do you think, Harley, is this someplace you’d like to live in?” Todd asks.

You look around again and nod. “It’s lovely. How much is the rent and what all is included?”

She tells you how much the rent is and that all you have to pay is electricity, cable, internet, and phone.

You frown. “That’s a bit more than I was paying. I’m gonna need to sit down and figure out my expenses before I make a decision.” You tell her.

“That’s fine, Sweetheart.” She tells you. “This time ‘o year, apartments aren’t in much demand. Just let us know soon.” She replies.

You thank her and head out with Todd. “You need a ride back to wherever you’re stayin?” he asks.

You sigh. “No, Scarlett said she’d come get me.” You tell him. “We can just go back to the shop, if that’s ok.” You reply. Todd nods. “Ok.” He replies.

You text Scarlett to come get you. She replies “UM, WHERE?”

You laugh. You tell her to meet you at the corner by the studio’s gate.

“Todd, can you drop me off on the corner by the studio?” you ask.

He raises an eyebrow, but nods.

“Tomorrow, we’re closed since it’s Sunday. So, I’ll see you on Monday at 7am?” he asks. You nod.

“Let me give you my cell number. If you decide to get that apartment from the O’Malley’s let me know right away and I will call and tell her and we can set up a time to get you there to sign the lease and stuff.” He tells you.

He tells you his phone number as he is driving, and you plug it into your phone with his name. When you reach the corner by the studio gate, you see a car already waiting. You hop out of Todd’s truck and thank him for everything. He grins and tells you he’ll be in touch and to have a good weekend.


	5. Chapter 5

When you get out of the truck, you glance over to the car and see Graham in the driver’s seat. He waves you over and you walk over to see what he wants.

“Aiden’s too hammered to drive so Scarlett asked me to come pick you up and bring you to the apartment.” He tells you.

“Oh, ok.” You reply and walk around the black Jaguar and climb in the front seat. “Buckle up.” He says and you do.

He pulls away from the curb and heads off. “You look at him confused. Where are we going? I thought you were taking me to Aiden’s apartment.”

He smirks. “They are all at Richard’s right now. He’s having a party and so that’s where we are goin.”

You groan. “Graham!”

He just chuckles and pats your leg. “Don’t worry, Lass. You’ll be fine. Did ya go look at that apartment?” he asks as he switches lanes and topics.

“Yeah, I liked it. It’s right across the hall from the owners. I met the wife, she’s an adorable Irish lady and is really nice. She told me how much it was for rent, but I have to sit down and figure out all my bills to see if it is something I’m gonna be able to afford in the long run. It’s a bit more expensive than my old apartment, so I don’t know.” You tell him.

He nods. “Well if it means keeping you safe, I’d say the difference in the rent would be worth it.” He tells you. “We can always help you out if ya have trouble swinging the full amount for the rent, Lass.” He reminds you.

You sigh and look out the window. “I know, but I would rather not have to be so dependent on others. I’ve been let down too many times and need to be able to know I can make it on my own in this world.” You say quietly.

He glances over at you and then looks back at the road.

“Have ya thought any more about what I said about gettin’ a guard dog to protect you?” he asks.

You nod. “Yeah. The lady at the apartment said that she would have to ask her husband if he would be okay allowing it. I’d have to pay a pet deposit in case there’s any damages it causes, and I’d have to consider food, vet bills, training, and yeah. It’s a lot of extra expenses, so I don’t know right now. I just started this job, and have been on disability after spending 3 months recovering from major surgery, so I will just have to see how things go.” You reply.

Graham looks surprised when you mention being on disability and the surgery. “Do ya mind me askin’ what ya had surgery on that it took three months to recover from?” he asks.

You are quiet for a minute then sigh, “I had to have a hysterectomy, I had a tumor growing in my womb that was taking up all the room and was causing a lot of health problems for me. My doctor told me that either way, I’d never be able to have kids. So I had the surgery to remove my womb and so yeah, now I’m ‘damaged goods’ as my ex calls me and not good for anything besides being a guy’s fuck toy.” You say quietly as you stare out the window.

Graham frowns when he hears your last comment. He slows down and pulls off to the side of the road. You look at him confused.

He puts the car in park and turns to you, and takes your face in his hands, “Sweetheart, I don’t know what kind of things your asshole ex said to you, but let me assure you, you are NOT damaged goods!

You are beautiful, sexy, and drop dead gorgeous. You are kind and compassionate, helpful and funny. There are many men who could care less that you can’t have kids. There are some that would find that a relief and embrace it with joy.

And if you decide you do want kids in the future, you can always adopt some. There is more to you than your ability to bear children. So don’t _ever, ever_ let anyone tell you that you are worthless, incomplete, or damaged goods because of your surgery, all right?” he tells you.

“You have more value than some asshole’s fuck toy. You are a beautiful, woman with a kind heart and a witty mind, and any man in his right mind would _love_ to have you as his woman. You are more than what you give yourself credit for!”

You look at him stunned with tears trickling down your cheeks. “I… I…” you don’t know what to say to that. You lower your gaze. He caresses your face wiping away the tears.

“Lass, men like your ex, they either don’t understand the power of their words. They don’t understand how deeply they can cut and how long lasting those wounds end up being, and how they taint the minds of those who they direct their words at… Or they do understand it, and use it to hurt and lord themselves over others trying to keep them in submission.

Don’t _ever, ever_ believe what he told you about who you are and how you are or are not valued. Not for an instant. You… are… a … treasure! And the right guy will see it and treat you as if you were the only thing that mattered to him!” He tells you adamantly.

“Lass. Now you said back in the bookstore that your ex is on the loose again, I think we need to seriously consider getting you that dog.” He tells you. “At least you would have someone to watch your back and warn you if he shows up.” He tells you.

You cry for a few minutes. “I’m sorry, I’m just so scared. I feel and look like a totally worthless mess to anyone right now, I don’t deserve your kind words. Look at me! I’m not fit for going to a party to socialize.” You squeak out.

Graham chuckles, and hands you some tissues from the glove box. “Here.” He says as he lays them in your lap. “Lass, you _are_ deserving of my kind words, because they are the truth. You have been torn down by someone who is not fit to breathe, and the more you hear these kind words, the more you will be able to heal from the verbal abuse and lies he berated you with.”

As you dry your eyes and try to clean up your running mascara, and blow your nose, Graham says, “Lass. when you were shopping with Scarlett and I bumped into you, I was stunned. I’ve never seen hair so long and shiny on such a pretty head. You got my heart a racin, like I was a teen again.” He tells you.

You look at him in disbelief, and seeing him grinning mischievously, you giggle. “Really?”

He nods. “Even now, red eyes and all, you’re still pretty.” He says as he runs his hand along your hair, pulling stray strands from your face, then grins.

“And yes, I enjoyed your little fashion show the other day. You have a wonderful body and are very pretty. You seemed confident and strutted like you were having the time of your life when you were shopping with Scarlett and also at the bar. You turned quite a few heads at The Squawking Raven’s that night… and not just Richard’s… Martin even said, “Hot Damn!” when he saw you!!! And it was in front of his wife! Luckily she laughed it off.” He tells you giggling. “You should’ve seen it!”

“But, Sweetheart, believe me, there were all kinds of men checking you out that night. I had a clear shot of the whole bar from where I was standing. There wasn’t a guy in there who didn’t glance at you and your friend with hungry and appreciative eyes.” He tells you as he lets go of your face and runs his hand through your hair once more.

“You have a unique kind of beauty. One which is on the inside that radiates out and highlights the outer beauty even more. Martin’s wife could even see it, and paid you a very high compliment! Which says a lot, because she doesn’t give them out freely!” he tells you.

“I know Scarlett implied you had a rough time with dating and men. But Richard is the best thing that could happen to you, sweetheart. He cares about you immensely and hasn’t been able to stop thinking about you since he first laid eyes on you in the bar the other night.

He is shy and sometimes is awkward when he gets nervous, but he has had his fair share of self doubt about his looks too. He reacts to compliments about his looks the same way you do. Just be open to his actions and words, because they are genuine and from the heart when he says them. He is not one to say things lightly. It’s not like he’s asking to marry you right away.” He says with a laugh, earning a small smile from you.

“Just give him a chance, ok? I promise he will take good care of you if you let him. He isn’t like the other guys you’ve been with according to Scarlett. He won’t hurt you or take advantage of you, and he’ll want to pummel anyone who does.” Graham says with another laugh.

You chuckle. “Thanks Graham.” You say quietly. He nods and turns back to put the car in gear and pulls back out onto the freeway.

You’re both quiet for the rest of the trip, lost in your own thoughts. You arrive at Richard’s place and are surprised by how modest it is for an actor. It’s not lavish like Aiden’s is.

Graham parks his Jaguar and then comes around to help you out. He leads you up to the door and opens it for you. You enter to the sound of laughter and music playing. You shyly hang back and wait for Graham to enter.

He chuckles and nudges you to go into the room. You step in and hear a loud and very drunk Aiden holler, “Harley!!!!” making you smile and laugh as he almost falls out of his chair. You look around at all the people in the room. There are some you recognize and others you don’t’ know. You feel Graham’s warm hand on your back leading you towards the group.

He introduces you to the people at the party that you don’t know, and you observe their faces and reactions. You see what he meant when he says they look at you hungrily, but notice it’s not in a lecherous way… mostly… it’s more in appreciation than anything.

He works his way introducing you to people as he heads for the kitchen with you. “Come on, Lass let’s get you some food and drink.” He tells you.

You stop dead in your tracks when you see Richard with an apron on, mixing a bowl of some kind of chocolate batter. He has a finger in his mouth, sucking off the batter when he turns and sees you. His eyes light up and he gets a huge smile on his face. He sets down the bowl, washes his hands, then comes over to you.

You feel Graham’s hand leave your back and he moves to get food, leaving you to talk with Richard.

“You came.” He says quietly as he reaches out tentatively to touch your elbows.

“I kind of got tricked into it.” You admit. “Scarlett said they’d come get me from work, then Graham shows up saying Aid was too drunk to drive so he came and got me. He didn’t mention the party till I noticed we weren’t heading to Aiden’s. you tell him shyly.

Richard chuckles. “I’m glad you came anyway.” He says as he cups your face with his right hand. “Have you eaten?” he asks.

You shake your head, “No, haven’t had much of an appetite after the news I got during lunch. Just ended up munching on my fries and chocolate shake.” You say as you look at his chest, unwilling to look up at his face.

He looks down at you concerned, then over to Graham. Richard hums, “We’ll talk about that in a while. For now, you need to eat, Sweetheart, even if you don’t feel like it.” He tells you gently. “We have a feast, so eat what you want.” He urges as he brings you to the kitchen and dining tables filled with all kinds of food. Your mouth begins to water. You nod and start putting food on your plate.

As you fill your plate Graham comes round to talk with Richard. “Her ex sure did a number on her, Rich. Be patient with her. She has a lot of wounds that can’t be seen from the outside.” He tells him.

Rich nods as he watches you .

“Rich, they let her ex out on bail. She’s absolutely terrified he’s gonna find her and do what he threatened to. He told her she’s only good for one thing…” he tells Rich.

Rich looks at him with a look something between pissed and concerned. “And what is that?” he asks quietly.

Graham glances back to see where you are at. “He called her ‘damaged goods’ because of the surgery she had to have, and told her she is only good for a ‘fuck toy’ now.

I had a talk with her on the way back and tried to tell her that she is NOT damaged goods and has much more value than just a fuck toy. But just take it slow with her, man. She has a LOT on her plate right now and is feeling incredibly insecure and sees herself as trash because of how he treated her.” He quietly informs Rich.

Rich is trying to remain calm, but Graham sees his fists are clenched and his knuckles are white. Rich has his jaw clenched and Graham could hear him grinding his teeth. He realized Rich was pissed and desperately trying not to blow up in front of everyone, especially you.

“Rich, go do what you need to do to go calm down… where she won’t see or hear it.” I’ll keep her company till you get back.” He tells his friend, patting his shoulder and nudging him towards the basement door.

\-------------------------------------

Rich nods takes his apron off, and quietly goes down to the basement and starts pummeling his punching bag and growling and shouting. Taking out his frustration out on it.

After a while, Lee Pace comes down to see where his friend went. He sees Richard red faced and punching his punching bag furiously.

Lee stands there for a moment watching him. When Richard takes a break, Lee clears his throat to get Richard’s attention. Richard looks up and sighs, his shoulders slumping.

Lee comes down and looks at his friend. “What’s the matter Rich? You’re having a party and you’re down here pissed. What happened?” he says as he holds out a glass of beer to Richard, who shakes his head, not wanting it.

“Graham just informed me that the shithead ex of Harley’s got released from jail. Some shithead posted bail to get him out and Harley is positive he won’t abide by the restraining order. He really did a number on her verbally and psychologically.

She had to have some kind of surgery that required several months to recover from, and he got upset about her needing to have it. Scarlett and Graham both said he called her all kinds of filthy names and now she feels like worthless trash and damaged goods.” He sighs and rubs his face.

Lee frowns. “And let me guess, you want to date her?” he asks.

Richard nods. “She has an inner beauty that just shines out of her. I can’t resist it. You should’ve seen her at the bar, Lee. She was confident, relaxed, happy and just beamed. Scarlett had taken her shopping, and got her to have her hair and makeup done. She was looking and feeling so confident and looked so sexy in what she wore! Now she is terrified and scared her ex will come after her and do what he threatened to do to her…” Rich says trailing off.

I want to just pummel that asshole for how he treated her and warped how she feels about herself. I don’t know what to do, Lee. I want to help her see herself as the beautiful woman she is inside and out, but I don’t know how.” He says, frustrated, punching the bag again.

Lee leans against the wall for a moment thinking. Let me think about it while we rejoin the party, you’ve beaten the punching bag enough for now. You don’t want to be gone too long, Rich or the party will migrate down here.” He teases. “Come on, let’s head back up. For now, just make sure she feels welcome and safe.” He tells his friend.

Rich nods, and starts to head back up the stairs.

\-----------------------------

You make your way around the table placing a variety of enticing foods onto your plate. There was more food there than you’ve ever seen at a single party… and it all looked amazing.

You came back around and looked at Graham confused.

He grinned, “He had to go take care of something, Lass. He’ll be back in a bit.” He tells you. “Do ya want anythin’ to drink?” he asks.

You sigh. “I suppose he doesn’t have any Jameson, does he?”

Graham’s eyebrows shoot up. “Jameson?” he asks surprised.

“Yeah, or any whiskey, for that matter.” You reply. “I need a good, stiff drink.” You say with a grin.

“Well, I have a bottle of Scotch whiskey in the freezer chilling if that’ll work for ya.” he tells you.

You nod.

He pulls out the bottle and grabs a whiskey glass. He looks at you and asks, “How do you want it?”

You reply, “Straight.”

His eyes go wide, he nods and pours you about a shot’s worth. “Here, see if you like it before I pour ya a whole glass.”

You take it and down it in two gulps, not even sputtering as it burns its way down your throat.

You hand him the glass and grin. He does too and asks if you with a devilish grin if you want some ice. You smirk and nod. Remembering your conversation from the bar the other night.

He puts some ice in the glass and pours it full for you. You go to take it, but he pulls it away. “Eat some, before ya have any more to drink, Lass. This is a bit stronger than that Jameson stuff yer used to.” He tells you.

You pout and eat a couple sandwiches and some fruit. He grins and gives you the glass. “Make it last though, no gulping it down! Ya only get one of these buggers.” he says with a wink.

You sigh and oblige the bald man.

After a bit, you clear your plate of food and your tummy is happily full and you’re sipping on your Scotch Whiskey, when Richard comes up with Lee from the basement. You and Graham are watching some of the guests trying to play the game called ‘Twister’ and are laughing at the compromising positions they get into. Richard notices you took your trench coat off and it is draped over a chair in the kitchen.

You don’t see them come up from the basement door and Richard just stops and watches you as you laugh at Aiden as he falls over and is deemed ‘out’ by the rest of the group. Lee smiles at the look on your face and understands what Richard had meant when he said you just beamed when you were happy. He nudges Richard to move along the wall over to you.

“Just keep her company and be supportive and kind, Rich.” He whispers in his friend’s ear, then moves off to observe the antics of the people playing the game from the other side of the room.

Richard comes up behind you and is mesmerized by your long hair. You have it in a fish tail braid that reaches just past your waistline. His fingers itch to run through it and feel it’s softness.

He comes up behind you and gently puts his hand on your shoulder. You startle a little and look up at him, but his loving smile disarms you instantly. “Hi.” You say. “Where’d you go?” you ask.

He clears his throat. “Had to take care of something in the basement.” He says. “Are you enjoying watching the game?” he asks as he brings his hand down your hair to your midback.

You laugh and nod. “It’s funny to watch. I remember playing it as a little girl with my friends. I think it’s more fun now to watch, especially with people drinking.” You giggle as Scarlett gets in a _very_ compromising position with Orlando, who is doing his best to get her to laugh and fall over.

Richard smiles.

“You feeling better?” he asks after a while. You nod. “Food and whiskey.” You say with a grin.

He leans down and gives your glass a sniff. “Is that the Scotch Whiskey Graham brought over?” he asks. You nod. “Yup.”

Rich frowns. “How many have you had, Love?” he asks.

You reply, “He gave me a shot to see if I’d like it, and then this glass, but it has ice in it, so it’s kinda watering it down the longer I let it sit. He told me I couldn’t down it all in one go. I have to nurse it cuz I only get one glass of it.” You tell him.

Rich grins and nods. “Good.” He says as you turn back to watching the antics with the game. He stands behind you and puts his hands on your hips and gently pulls you to lean against him. Which you don’t seem to mind doing.

Once the game finishes, someone decides to take out the karaoke machine and hooks it up to the surround sound system. Richard groans and puts a hand up to his face…and you start laughing.

“What’s the matter, Rich, not up for karaoke?” Someone teases. He just chuckles and tells them to have at it, but not to turn the music up any higher. “I don’t need the cops called on us.” he tells them.

The two of you work your way to the back wall by the stairs going up to the second floor where you can watch his friends sing and dance to the music.

You finish your glass of whiskey and start sucking on the ice till it’s small enough to chew on.

Richard cringes when he hears you chewing the ice. “You realize how bad that is for your teeth?” he asks.

You nod. “I like how it feels.” You say. “I’ve chewed on ice since I was a kid. My dentist says my teeth are fine.” You tell him as you pop another ice cube into your mouth and suck on it.

He leans down and mentions, “I have other things you can suck on instead of ice, if you want.”

You look up at him and raise an eyebrow, wondering what exactly he is referring to and if he meant the innuendo or not.

He takes your hand and pulls you into the kitchen. He opens the freezer and points to the popsicles and the ice cream cones coated in chocolate and chopped peanuts.

Your eyes light up and you grab the box of popsicles. You dig around till you find a cherry one. You giggle with delight and hand him the box back. He is grinning at your antics and puts the box back in the freezer and closes the door.

“Oh my gosh! I haven’t had a popsicle since I was a little kid! These were my favourites! I’d eat all the cherry and grape ones and leave the orange ones for my parents!” you giggle as you tear it open and pop it in your mouth. Your eyes close and you make a little happy noise.

Richard is watching this and is trying desperately not to let his mind go in the gutter. But you are making it SO damn easy to do. He watches your eyes close as you pop it into your mouth and twirl your tongue around the top of the cherry popsicle.

The little happy noises you are making cause him to grin and he can feel himself getting hard. He is wondering now if this was such a good idea. The more he watches you enjoying the popsicle, the more he wants your lips someplace else on him.

He groans quietly and rubs his face. Graham comes walking in to grab another beer and sees you eating the popsicle. He stares for a moment, and Rich can tell the instant his brain goes in the gutter. He looks up at Rich with a raised eyebrow and an evil smirk. He opens his mouth to say something and Richard gives him a glare and shakes his head. Gram winks, and closes his mouth. He grabs the beer from the fridge and walks over to him.

Cracking open the beer, he leans against the sink next to Rich. “What were ya thinkin’ giving her an iced lolly?” he whispers.

Richard shrugs, “Thought it’d be better than hearing her chew on ice cubes… but now I’m thinking the ice cubes were the better option.” He whispers back.

By now you are completely oblivious to the indecent thoughts the two are having while watching you enjoying the popsicle. By the time you finish it, they are both uncomfortably hard and luckily Rich’s apron is covering it so it isn’t noticeable.

Graham on the other hand, is struggling. Rich is giggling and teases him quietly and suggests he head to the rest room to take care of it. Graham groans and nods.

Rich realizes he left the chocolate batter on the counter when you came in and turns to pour it into the muffin cups. You stand there in the kitchen and watch him, and admire his lovely ass as he works.

“What are you making?” you finally ask, when you see him pouring the batter into the muffin cups.

“Chocolate cupcakes, I believe you call them.” He replies as he opens the oven and bends to put the pan in to bake. He sets the timer and turns to look at you. Your cheeks are rosy and your ears and neck are pink.

He grins and comes over to check on you. “You feelin’ all right, Love?” he asks.

You nod, “Just a little warm… must be the whiskey.” You reply sheepishly.

“Mmmmmhmmm.” Richard says with a raised eyebrow and his panty melting smirk. “Something tells me you were enjoying the view.” He teases, making you blush even more.

You duck your head and squirm under his gaze.

He chuckles, “It’s okay, Love.” He says and pulls you in for a hug, making you squeak in surprise.

You giggle when ‘Pretty Woman’ comes on and Richard starts to sing it quietly to you while he holds you in the hug and sways from side to side a little.

He holds you like that till the song ends and there is a roar of laughter from the living room.

“I don’t even want to know who was performing that one in there.” He mumbles rubbing his face. "That was horrible!"

“I much preferred your version.” You giggle. He looks down at you and smiles. He plants a kiss to the top of your head.

You take your whiskey glass from off the counter and pop the last ice cube in your mouth and suck on it. Richard rolls his eyes and shakes his head. “Little Ice monster you are!” he says, “What am I to do with you?” he teases.

“Well, I can think of a few things.” You tease. And stick the ice out of your lips, wiggle it with your tongue, then suck it back in.

You see his eyes dilate and he takes a couple steps over to you. He hesitantly takes you in his arms and leans down to give you a tentative kiss. You allow him to, remembering Graham’s words, ‘to give Richard a chance’.

He is gentle with you and gives you light kisses. You smile and stick the ice between your lips and tease his with it. He grins and takes it in his teeth as he kisses you and tugs it out of your mouth and traces your lips with it then drops it into his mouth.

Your eyes get huge. “Hey, give that back!” you tell him.

He smirks, “Come get it.” He says in a husky voice and rolls it around on his tongue to tease you. You reach up and tug his head down and your lips crash into his. Your tongue prodding his lips to part and give you back your ice cube.

He chuckles and lets you part his lips with your tongue only to find his teeth clamped shut. He is grinning at your frustration. You tease his lips and then start to move down his neck with kisses and your fingers gently scratch the back of his scalp as you drag your fingers through his hair.

He closes his eyes for a moment enjoying the feeling. Then he brings your head back up to his and kisses you soundly, slipping the ice chip back into your mouth as the two of you bat it back and forth with your tongues until it completely melts.

You pull back when you need air and look up at him dazed. He grins and tells you. “I like that game with the ice chip. What shall we call it?” he asks you with his lopsided grin.

You shrug, “Don’t know…Ice hockey?” you ask. He smirks. “Perhaps… or maybe just ‘Pass the ice?’ ”

You both bust up laughing then Graham comes walking in. “What’s so funny, you two?” he asks with a raised eyebrow when he sees you both laughing and have red lips and chins.

You look at Richard with a huge grin and reply, “Ice hockey.” Which makes Richard bust up laughing again and sends you into a fit of giggles.

Graham looks at the two of you confused, then turns and says, “No more whiskey for you, Lass.” And heads out into the living room.

The two of you are still in a fit of giggles when Martin comes in looking for the alcohol. He takes one look at you and comes over.

“Ahhh, if it isn’t the mysterious lady in black leather who enraptured my dear friend, Richard! I’m sorry I didn’t have the pleasure of meeting you the other night at the bar. I’m Martin.” he tells you as he takes your hand and kisses the top of it.

You giggle and tell him, “I’m Harley, nice to meet you Martin.” You reply and lean against Richard still giggling about the ice hockey game.

“What has you two giggling in here when the party is out in the living room?” he asks. You look up at Richard who is trying to keep it together. You look back to Martin and say with a completely deadpanned face, “Ice Hockey Games”…. Which sets Richard into another fit of giggles.

Martin quirks an eyebrow. You lean into him and say, “You should try it with your wife sometime when she starts kissing you.” And you lean back and wink.

He doesn’t get your drift at first then you go to the freezer and pick out an ice cube and pop it in your mouth, then you turn to him, and stick it out of your lips and give it a wiggle with your tongue then suck it back in your mouth.

Martin’s eyes get huge and he looks between you and Richard, who has his back to you both still giggling and trying to get his composure. You raise your eyebrows and Martin chuckles and says, “I might just have to try that! Thanks for the suggestion!” he says with a wink.

You close the freezer door and then open it again and grab a handful of ice and go put it in your cup. You go back and dig around in the freezer and find a bottle of Jameson someone hid and pour yourself a glass. Then put it back.

Martin chuckles and asks if you like strong drinks. You nod. He asks if you tried Graham’s Whiskey and you nod. “He said I could only have one glass though, but he didn’t say I couldn’t have my Jameson…” you giggle.

Martin chuckles again and turns to Richard who finally regains his composure. Richard turns just as you were pouring the Jameson. Martin says, “I like this one, she can come party with us any time you care to bring her with!”

When Richard saw you take a drink of the Jameson and stuck the ice cube from your mouth out of your lips at him, he knew he was going to have his hands full with you tonight. He covered his grin with his hand and nodded to Martin, who just winked at Richard, grabbed a beer from the fridge and went back into the living room.

Richard chuckles at you and wraps you in his arms. “Graham _did_ say ‘no more whiskey.” He reminds you.

You just shrug.

"How about another round of ‘Pass the ice’?" he says with an impish grin. You return the grin and he starts to kiss you soundly, the two of you passing the ice cube between your mouths as he explores your mouth and enjoys the taste of the whiskey on your tongue. You explore his mouth and enjoy the taste of chocolate on his.

Suddenly the alarm on his phone goes off and he breaks the kiss after passing you the ice cube back into your mouth.

He hurries over to the oven, shuts off the alarm and takes the pot holder out of the drawer. He opens the oven, then takes out the muffins and sets them on the rack to cool.

The two of you wander out into the living room and chuckle as someone decided it was enough with the karaoke and had put in Star Wars. Everyone was either sitting on the furniture or on the floor watching it. Richard chuckles remembering filming the scenes he did for that particular film.

You look at the movie playing and whisper to him, “Isn’t this the one you have a few scenes in?” he looks surprised and nods. He moves over to a side chair and sits down, pulling you into his lap. The two of you sit there watching the movie and you sip the whiskey. When you finish it, Richard takes the glass and sets it on the side table.

You are sitting across his lap with your legs hanging off the side. You lean your head against his shoulder and close your eyes listening to the movie and picturing what was going on.

Richard feels you lean your head against his shoulder, and he grins. He reaches up and puts a hand on your head. Happy you feel comfortable enough to be doing this with him. Maybe it’s the alcohol you consumed, but regardless, he is happy for the moment. He looks over at Lee, who mimics sleeping and points to you.

Richard shakes his head, no. Lee grins and mouths “soon”. And Richard raises his eyebrows as if saying, “maybe”.

About a half hour later he feels you start to get heavier. He shifts and you don’t stir. Lee mimics sleep again and points at you and Richard nods. Lee chuckles and comes over. He squats down and brushes some hair out of your face. You’re out like a light and are oblivious to the world around you.

“What are you going to do with her, Rich?” he asks quietly.

Richard looks down at you and then around at the guests who are either sleeping already or on their way there. He sighs, “I guess we’re having a slumber party as well.” He chuckles quietly.

Lee looks around and nods. “Want me to turn off the movie?” he asks.

Richard says, “Naah. Let it play. I think I’ll go put her in one of the beds upstairs, then I’ll come back down to put the food away, so it doesn’t spoil.

“I’ll help with that then I gotta get going. I have to do some voice overs for a movie I’m in tomorrow, so I won’t be able to stay.” He tells you.

Richard nods. “Here, can you take her so I can get up?” he asks.

Lee chuckles and nods. He bends down and carefully scoops you out of Richard’s lap then steps back a few paces.

Richard stands and stretches, then Lee passes you back to Richard, who carries you upstairs and takes you to his bedroom. He lays you down in the bed and struggles to remove your corset but finally gets it unhooked in front, leaving you in your shirt and pants. He carefully pulls off your boots and sets them on the floor by the chair and puts your corset on the chair’s cushion.

He kisses your forehead and covers you up with his blankets.

Then he heads down and finds Lee and Graham both helping to clean up and put the food away in the fridge and freezer.

They talk with Richard about you and the three of them decide that you need a guard dog. Richard says he will talk to you about it tomorrow and will find out what kind of dog you’d like if you could have one.

Lee and Graham both tell Richard to let them know and they will help cover the costs for the stuff for the dog. Richard thanks them.

“She is a wonderful woman, Rich. I saw the two of you in the kitchen and you were both belly laughing at something. All Martin would say was ‘Ice hockey’ and would just smirk. I haven’t seen you this happy and laughing in a very long time. I hope things work out with you two.” Lee tells Rich. “If things do work out, I want an invite to the wedding!” he teases.

Rich just laughs and nods. “IF, they work out, you will get an invite, Lee.” Richard chuckles.

“For now, we’ll just take things one day at a time.” Richard says.

“Good idea.” Graham replies, and Lee nods.

“I’ll see you two later. Have a good rest of the night.” Lee tells them and then heads out the door.

Graham turns and looks at Rich. “What _are_ ya gonna do with her?” he asks.

“I put her in one of the beds upstairs to sleep off the hangover I’m sure she’ll have in the morning.” Rich explains.

Graham raises an eyebrow.

“Don’t worry, Graham, I won’t take advantage of her.” He says smacking Graham on the arm.

“Ya better not, or I’ll beat your head in!” he warns.

Richard just chuckles. “Got a soft spot for her too?” Rich teases.

“Yeah, like she was my kid, so don’t hurt her, or you’ll be answerin to me!” he warns.

“Scarlett said she has no family, so I guess in a way, that makes me her Pops since I found her first, out of our cluster fuck of friends!” Graham tells him teasingly.

Richard just chuckles, “Ok, old man, then I guess I won’t tell you she found the Jameson in the freezer and had a glass of that too.” He says grinning.

Graham rolls his eyes and rubs his face. “And ya didn’t stop her why?” he asks, mildly annoyed.

“Ice Hockey” Richard replies.

Graham raises an eyebrow, and rubs his forehead, “Ya know what, I don’t want to know…I’m heading home. Call me when ye find out about the dog so I can call my friend and see what he’s got.”

Richard nods. “You gonna be ok to drive?” he asks.

“Yeah, haven’t had any alcohol now for a few hours.” He replied.

“Ok, see ya later.” Rich says as they head for the door. He watches Graham head for his jaguar and watches him leave. He turns and closes the door, locking it. Then heads up to the bedroom to check on you.

He sits down on the bed and brushes hair out of your face. You don’t even flinch. He yawns and takes off his shirt and pants, then puts on a pair of sweats. He is warm and climbs onto the bed, laying on top of the sheets and comforter.

You roll onto your back and he chuckles and scoots over closer to you. You sense his warmth and snuggle over to him and curl up into his side, still sound asleep.

He chuckles and lets you be. He closes his eyes and plays with your hair till he falls asleep with you in his arm.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning you wake to the sound of someone lightly snoring and you have the song ‘Pretty Woman’ stuck in your head for some reason. You lay there humming it to yourself quietly and then decide to open your eyes and instantly realize you have a hangover headache from the whiskey. You groan quietly and squint to see what is making the snoring sound. Your eyes get huge when you see the bare chest of someone. You look up and realize it’s Richard!

You give a little squeak and look down. You sigh realizing he slept on top of the blankets and you are under them… you hope nothing intimate happened last night, which seems to be a bit of a blurr. You remember watching Aiden, Scarlet, Orlando and his friend all playing twister, and then singing karaoke. Is that where the song got stuck in your head? Then you suddenly remember standing in the kitchen in Richard’s arms as he sings it to you quietly while someone in the Living Room is horribly singing it. You remember talking with Richard and playing ‘Ice hockey’, which makes you grin and giggle, and you remember talking with Martin about something then going to watch a movie and sitting in Richard’s lap as you did so.

You hear Richard’s breathing change and you look up to realize he is looking down at your head that is resting on his shoulder. His arm is under your neck and loosely wrapped over your waist, cradling you against his side.

He gives you a little squeeze. “Mornin’ sweetheart.” He tells you with a grin.

“Um, morning.” You reply bashfully. “What am I doing here? Where am I?” you ask him.

He chuckles. “You fell asleep on my lap while we watched the movie downstairs.” He tells you. “Don’t worry, though, a bunch of other people passed out on the furniture and floor in the living room too. I decided you’d probably feel more comfortable up here, away from everyone else.” He informs you as he turns on his side to face you.

“You’re in my room right now. I wanted to make sure you were ok during the night and didn’t have any problems after all the whiskey you drank.” He says with a smirk.

You groan. “Thanks… I’m having a bit of a hangover headache.” You tell him.

Richard chuckles. “I figured you might. I’ll get you something for it when we go down for breakfast. Don’t be surprised if people tease us a little. Don’t worry though, nothing happened. I put you under the blankets, and made sure I slept on top of them. All that happened was you cuddling with me.” He assures you and kisses your forehead. “Though they probably won’t believe us if we told them that.”

“Thanks, Richard, for not taking advantage of me.” You say quietly.

Richard cups your face with one of his hands. “I was warned not to by Graham.” He grins when you give him as surprised look.

“You’ve been through enough right now. I know you didn’t need that on top of everything and had no intention on doing such a thing anyway. If I’m gonna make love to a woman, I want her to be sober for it so she will give her consent and remember what we do.” He tells you as he kisses your forehead and nose. “And though you weren’t sloshed like some of my guests were, you weren’t completely sober either.” He says with a grin.

You giggle, “Ice hockey and Pretty Woman”. And he chuckles. “Ahhh, so you DO remember that part of the evening!” he teases.

You blush and duck your head in his chest. “I had fun with that.” You mumble. You hear and feel his laugh reverberating in his chest. “I did too, Love. We’ll have to do it again sometime, my little Ice monster!” he teases.

You sit up and giggle. You lift the blanket and look to see how clothed you were. You look over at him surprised.

He grins. “Don’t worry, sweetheart, I only took your corset and boots off. Didn’t think it would be terribly comfortable for you to sleep in a corset, and well, the boots just had to go.” He said with a grin. “Don’t know how you can stand wearing something so tight. How the heck did you get into that??? I had a heck of a time trying to get it off you. Thought I was gonna break those hooks!” he informed you with an arched brow.

You giggle, “You’re supposed to loosen the laces in back first.” You inform him. He gives you a raised eyebrow. “Kind of hard to do that when you’re sound asleep.” He tells you. You just giggle again.

You yawn and stretch. “I like how the corset feels. It supports my chest better than a bra, and the tight feeling around my belly helps support me while my body adapts to the aftermath of my surgery.” You explain.

He looks at you for a moment. “Graham & Scarlett mentioned you had to have a surgery, but they didn’t say what it was for.” He told you. “Do you mind me asking what kind of surgery you had?” he says as he runs his fingers along the side of your face, brushing stray hairs away.

You close your eyes, trying to figure out how to tell him and worried how he will react. You sigh and remember what Graham had told you in the car. You hoped it didn’t disappoint Richard too much. You sat up and scooted back against the headboard. Richard did the same and wrapped an arm around you, patiently waiting for you to gather your thoughts and answer his question.

“I had to have a hysterectomy.” You say quietly. “I had a large tumor growing in my womb that was very painful and was causing a lot of health problems for me. My doctor said it had pretty much taken over the inside of my womb and that I’d never be able to have kids because of it. He recommended the surgery to remove the womb and my ovaries, so there’s no further issues.” You tell him.

“It devastated me, since I always dreamed of having my own kids and feeling what it was like to be pregnant. But now I’ll never know.” You reply in almost a whisper, a few tears rolling down your cheeks. “My boyfriend at the time was livid and didn’t believe me that I needed it despite the ultrasound pictures. He told me women were made to make babies and keep house and cook, and that if I had the surgery, I would be worthless, and damaged goods, and good for nothing but being a fuck toy.” You tell him and hear him quietly growl.

“I didn’t have a choice, I _had_ to have the surgery, the pain was getting unbearable and I just couldn’t take it any longer. I had it right after Christmas and he dumped me as soon as he heard what I did. I still feel hollow and empty and worthless, like trash tossed to the side of the road.” You tell Richard quietly.

“Graham tried to encourage me and told me not to believe what my ex told me, but the wounds are already there. I don’t know how to not believe them.

Scarlett tries to help me feel better about myself. That was why we went shopping. I had just been cleared by my doc to return to normal activities and I was feeling like shit and was depressed.

We went through my closet and purged a lot of my clothes. Then she took me to her favourite salon and paid them to give me a makeover, and do my hair, and nails, then we went to shop. Graham literally ran into me and nearly knocked me off my feet when we had just come out of a store and were heading for another one.

He somehow keeps bumping into me in different places and has been really nice to me every time.” You tell Richard. “He’s not stalking me is he?” you ask teasingly.

Richard laughs hard, “No, sweetheart, he isn’t stalking you.” He replies with some more giggles.

He pulls you close to him and gives you a hug. “I’m SO sorry you’ve had to go through all this, Sweetheart. Graham is right though, don’t believe the horrible things your ex has told you.

You are a treasure! You have SO much more value than just making babies! You ARE beautiful, inside and out! You are sexy, and seem to drive me crazy just thinking about being with you. You radiate a light that can only come from having an inner beauty, which is so much more important and desirable than just a sexy body on the outside. You are funny, a tease, and witty, and you’re a joy to be around.” He tells you and hugs you tight.

“Martin is very picky who he parties with and receiving an open invitation from him to party with him and his wife any time you like is a very big deal. Not many people are offered that!” he tells you. We all think so much of you, Harley. We all want to see your ex punished for what he has done to you and we want to see you protected and him out of the picture permanently.” Richard tells you as he holds you close.

“I know you don’t seem to want our help and want to do things on your own, but we all REALLY want you to be safe. Please, Sweetheart, let us get you the dog, to help comfort and protect you. We’ll pay for everything for it till you get situated and back on your feet. It would set our minds at ease knowing you have a trained guard dog who can protect you from creeps like your ex.” He says as he tilts your face to look up at him.

“Graham has friends who train dogs for this, and he can hook you up with the perfect dog for you. We’ll cover the training costs, vet bills, food and pet deposit for you. You won’t have to worry about any of that and the dog will alert you when people with bad intentions are nearby and will attack at your command if you are threatened.” He assures you.

You sigh. “I know, you all want me safe. I did think about Graham’s suggestion of getting one. I’ve never had a pet before though. What do I do if places won’t let me bring him in though? I don’t have a car to put him in, and I’m not just gonna tie him up outside the business all alone while I shop or eat.” You ask.

We can get together with Graham later today and you can ask him those questions. Perhaps you can ask the police who are handling your case as well. They may know how to get the dog registered as a service animal for you, then you should be allowed to bring him anywhere.” Richard tells you as you lean your head against his shoulder.

“What do ya say, Harley, will you let us give you a gift like this?” Richard asks quietly.

You sigh. “What if the dog doesn’t like me? I’m terribly afraid of some kinds of dogs.” You tell him.

“What kinds of dogs are you afraid of, Love? We’ll be sure not to have them as an option.” He tells you.

“Pitt bulls, Boxers, Rotties, Pincers, and Dobermans,” You reply. “or any kind of dog mixed with them.”

“What kind of dogs do you think you’d like?” Richard asks.

“I don’t know. There are so many different breeds, I don’t know the names of them. My friend had one who looked like a cross between a sled dog, a German Shepperd and a wolf. It was a pretty grey color and stood taller than me when she got up on her hind legs!” you said with a giggle. She was a good guard dog for them. I guess I’d have to see what my options are and go from there.” You sigh.

Richard grins and looks you in the face, “So is that a yes?” he asks. You look into his eyes and see how badly he wants you to agree to this. You see he truly cares about you and wants to help. You nod and he gives you a dazzling smile. “Thank You, Love. I will sleep better at night knowing you have a dog to protect you when we can’t be there to do it.” He whispers in your ear and kisses your cheek and neck.

You close your eyes and enjoy the feeling of security and love he creates in you when he holds you in his arms and kisses you.

“Mmmmhmmm.” You reply as you reach up into his hair and run your fingers through it.

Richard groans and moves to sit back up. “We better stop before I lose my self control, Love. I don’t want to push you into anything you’re not ready for.” He tells you.

“Richard?” you ask quietly.

“Yes, Love?” he replies.

“I know we just met, but for some reason, you make me feel safe and loved in a way no one else ever has. I’ve never been treated the way you treat me. Why do you do it? Why do you treat me the way you do?” you ask.

He smiles at your confession. “Sweetheart, I try to treat all women with respect. My father taught me that women are to be respected and treated the way I’d want my sister or mother to be treated. That they aren’t just some sex toy to play with and then cast aside.” He explains as he cups your face with his hands and leans his forehead against yours.

“He taught me to see the value in kindness, and how to recognize someone who is beautiful on the inside and not just put emphasis on the outer appearance.” Richard explains.

“I see people for who they are, not just how they look. My father always said ‘One man’s trash is another’s treasure.’ And I believe he is right. We’re all a little broken in some way on the inside.

In Japan, broken objects are pieced back together with gold and are seen as something of great value. Stained glass windows are beautiful to look at and are made from broken pieces of colored glass, Mosaics also are beautiful and are made from broken pottery or tile pieces. All are beautiful in their own, unique way, and are created from broken things. People are no different.” He tells you with a sad smile.

“You have a uniqueness that caught my attention from the moment I first saw you. I can’t explain it, but it is there. You glow in a certain way when you are happy and relaxed, and it is intoxicating.” He tells you.

“I wanted to ask you to be my girlfriend, when you were getting ready to leave the bar, but I didn’t know how to say it with out coming off as an idiot.” He confesses. “You make me happy and I hope I can do the same for you, Harley, if you’d let me?” he tells you with hope and love reflecting in his baby blue eyes.

You look into his face and see his sincerity. You close your eyes and remember Graham’s words about Richard being different from your former dates and how Graham promised Richard would treat you right and how he speaks from the heart and means what he says.

You open your eyes again and look into his hopeful ones. You give him a small smile and nod. He gives you a HUGE grin and pulls you in for a tight hug, releasing the breath he didn’t realize he had been holding.

“Thank You, Love. I promise I will treat you better than what you’ve had before. I cherish you and you are my treasure, I hope I can be yours!” he tells you and kisses you silly. Making you giggle and hold him closely.

You hold each other contentedly for a few minutes until your tummy starts to growl and gurgle. You giggle and say, “I think I need some breakfast or it’s gonna eat me from the inside out!”

Richard looks at you and starts belly laughing as he puts a hand on your grumbling tummy. “Ok, Love, let’s get up and go see who else is awake and hungry.” He says grinning and helps you out of the bed.

He watches with fascination as you grab the corset and unlace the back and shift it till the laces are all even. Then you put it on and hook the hooks in the front. You lean forward (and away from Richard) and adjust your girls so they sit where they are supposed to, then stand up and walk over to the mirror and fumble around looking for the center loops to start cinching it.

Richard sees you fumbling with the back lacing and comes over. “Here, Love, let me help.” He says quietly. You look over your shoulder and see him looking down at the laces.

“Ok.” You reply quietly.

He finds the center loops and begins to pull them slowly. He helps you adjust the back panel, so it covers where the laces rest against your back, then little by little he cinches the corset closed, being careful not to get it too tight.

You are standing in front of his long dresser with your long braid hanging over your left shoulder and you glance up into the mirror. He is standing behind you, bare chested, and you are slightly bent forward leaning on the dresser. He finishes tying the laces and gently tucks them in to the weave like you told him to. He glances up and sees you watching him. He rests his hands on your hips and smiles happily at you in the mirror.

Richard feels like lacing you into your corset is such an intimate act and he is honored that you trust him enough to do this. He tries to be careful to not tug too hard, and keeps asking you if it’s too tight or too loose, doing his best to keep communication open. When he ties off the laces and tucks them in, he glances up to the mirror and sees you watching him. He smiles at you happily and rests his hands on your hips, enjoying the curves the corset creates.

He gently pulls you to stand and then pulls you so your back rests against his chest. He wraps his hands around your middle and places his hands on your lower belly. He looks into the mirror at your beautiful, beaming face and he is just so taken by you.

“Don’t feel bad about having to have your surgery, Love. It doesn’t bother me. I love you for who you are. If you decide you want kids we can always adopt some, that is, if you decide to keep me around.” He says with a chuckle. “I love you, Harley, and there is no surgery in the world that you could have that would ever change that, my Love for you is steady and unfailing.” He whispers into your ear, then kisses your cheek.

You stand there, his arms wrapped around you, holding your belly that once held a womb, and hearing him say that it doesn’t bother him that that part of you no longer exists, and hearing his affirmation of love, it all sends tears of joy rolling down your cheeks. You can hardly believe this is happening and keep expecting to wake up from this amazing dream. How can anyone be so wonderful!?!

He sees the tears rolling down your cheeks and turns you gently to face him. He takes your hands and he backs up to sit on the end of the bed, pulling you along until you’re standing between his thighs. Richard looks at you and dries your tears with his thumbs. “You ok, Love?” he asks a little worried.

You nod. “I’m just a little overwhelmed. I never thought I’d hear anything like that from a man after what I’ve been through. I don’t deserve it.” You reply, looking down at your hands.

“Sweetheart, look at me,” he tells you gently. You look up into his handsome face, “you deserve it more than anyone else I know. I know you don’t believe yourself to be beautiful, or sexy, or desirable. I often feel the same way. I don’t understand what it is that people see in me. So, I get it, Sweetheart, it can be overwhelming to hear sometimes. But we still need to be reminded of it. That people love us, that they find us attractive, despite our insecurities. Ok?” he tells you.

You nod. “Thank you, Rich.” You whisper as you hug him around the neck.

He smiles and returns the hug. “My pleasure, Love. Now are you ready to face everyone downstairs who will most likely be hungover and hangry?” he asks.

You groan and he chuckles. “Come on, you can help me make breakfast and I’ll get you something for the headache.” He tells you as he kisses your lips in a breath taking kiss.

You grin and return the kiss. You both groan when you hear someone holler up, “Rich, you awake up there?”

He chuckles and the two of you move to the door of his room. You look in the mirror again and groan. “I need to wash my face before going anywhere and comb out my hair.” You say as you pull your braid around your shoulder to look at the frayed braid.

“Ok, Love, there’s a bathroom just down the hall there to your left. Don’t worry about your hair right now, I’ll lend you my brush and comb after we eat.” He tells you. You nod and he kisses you again, then heads down the stairs as you head to the bathroom to wash your face.


	7. Chapter 7

You walked down the hall to the bathroom and could hear the ribbing Richard was getting from his friends. You could hear them teasing him about ditching them to hang out in the kitchen with you last night. 

Apparently, they didn’t realize you were still here and that you had spent the night cuddled in his arms.

You washed your face and got the little bit of make up off of your face that you had worn yesterday. You looked tired. You carefully undid your braid and finger combed through it. You headed back into Richard’s room to look for a comb or brush. You went into his bathroom and found a comb laying on the counter. Turning on the faucet, you ran it under the water and then started to comb out the sections of hair you pulled over your shoulder. 

Once you got all of your hair combed out, you decided to just leave it long today. You pulled a couple of chunks at your temples into four strand braids and joined them in the back of your head, securing them with your elastic band.

You found Richard’s toothpaste and put a little on your finger and rubbed it around on your teeth trying to get rid of the gross feeling in your mouth. You rinsed your mouth and your finger with some water then went back into the bedroom and pulled your socks and boots back on. 

You took a deep breath and quietly headed downstairs. You could hear Scarlett and Aiden’s voices along with Martin’s and Richard’s. You quietly crept down the stairs and stood at the bottom looking around at the living room. People were still passed out on the floor and on the sofa. 

You quietly walked into the hallway leading to the kitchen and stood in the doorway watching everyone as you stuffed your hands into your front pockets and leaned against the doorway, crossing one foot in front of the other. You smiled at the banter being tossed back and forth between Aiden and Martin and Richard. 

Suddenly you hear a beautiful voice behind you and turn your head to see a pretty blonde woman walking towards you. You shift and make room for her. She stops and greets you. “Oh, Hello! You must be Richard’s friend, Harley, was it?” She asked. 

You heard everyone in the kitchen stop talking and turn to see you standing there. You nod and say, “Yes, I’m Harley. Who are you?” you ask. 

She chuckles and Martin comes over to the two of you. “Darling you’re up!” he says as he scoots past you to kiss her. “Harley, this is my partner, Amanda.” He tells you. 

You hold out your hand and she shakes it. “It’s nice to meet you Amanda.” You tell her. 

She grins. “Nice to meet you too, Harley! You have such an unusual name, do you mind me asking where your parents got it from?” she asks. 

You grin. “My dad was an American, my mom was from Nottinghamshire. They met in College when she came to the US as a foreign exchange student. Their first date, he took her for a motorcycle ride on his Harley.” You giggle. “And, well, the rest is history.” You smirk.

Martin looks at you surprised. “You’re named after a motorcycle!?!” he exclaims, getting an elbow in the ribs from Amanda. 

You giggle and nod. “Yup. Mom always said I was just like his bike, fun, noisy, obnoxious, and stubborn.” You grin. 

You feel hands snake around your waist from behind and look up to see Richard grinning down at you. “Well, now that you’ve met, can we get back to making breakfast?” he asks teasingly. 

You grin and nod. You let out a shriek when he suddenly picks you up and carries you into the kitchen. Making you, Martin and Amanda all laugh. 

Scarlett and Aiden look up from their make out session and grin. “So, you DID stay the night!” Aiden teases. “Thought you might have left and had Graham take you back to the apartment.” He said.

You shake your head as Richard sets you down by where he was working to make breakfast. “No, I’m not staying anywhere overnight alone until I get a guard dog or my ex is permanently out of the picture and no longer a threat.” You tell him. 

Richard grins.

“What do you need a dog for?” Amanda asks.   
You explain to her and Martin what is going on with your ex and how Richard and Graham want you to get a guard dog to keep you safe. 

“That’s probably a good idea, Harley.” Martin tells you. “Restraining orders are a joke. They rarely work and only give the cops another thing to charge the person with. They do nothing to really protect a person from being harassed and attacked.” 

You nod. Then turn to ask Richard what is for breakfast.

He nods to the stuff on the counter next to him. You see eggs, sausage, bacon, pastries, ham, and shredded potatoes. 

You ask if you can help. He nods and points to the eggs. “Crack them in a bowl for me and I’ll make omelets for whoever wants one. There’s cheese, milk and peppers in the fridge.

Martin sighs, “Got anything vegetarian for breakfast, Rich?” he asks as he digs around in the fridge. 

Richard grins, “Not sure what a vegetarian eats for breakfast, Martin, you’re welcome to what ever you find that you want to eat.” He tells him. “There’s cereal in the cupboard next to the fridge if you want that. I think there’s some soy milk in the fridge too.

Martin finds some food for breakfast and starts to eat. Richard looks at you and asks what you want in your omelet. You tell him, bacon, ham, shredded potatoes, peppers and cheese. He grins and nods. He makes you your omelet, then makes one for Scarlett and one for Aiden, one for Amanda and one for himself. Rich tosses you a bottle of aspirin once you finish eating so you can take some for your hangover headache.

The smell of food, finally wakes up the rest of the guests and they head into the kitchen and find stuff for breakfast. Some make omelets, some have scrambled eggs and ham or bacon, some have pastries, some have cereal. Everyone has coffee, which had to be made several times until everyone had a cup.

Everyone stood around talking and eating breakfast. Once the partygoers were done eating, they started heading out to go home. You helped Richard with the dishes and put them into the dishwasher while he rinsed them off. Once the dishwasher was full, you put the soap in and then ran it. 

You head over to your jacket and backpack and pull out your phone. You see you missed several calls and listen to the voice messages. You call Officer Sand back and apologize for missing the calls. You explain what happened after you got done seeing the apartment and he chuckles. “Well, at least you’re safe.” He tells you. 

You apologize for worrying him. “No problem, Harley. Did you want to meet up today so I can get the keys for your old apartment? The guys said they’d come help pack up your stuff today with me. We’ll take it to our storage facility that that PD uses, and we’ll store it there till you get a place.” He tells you. 

“How did you like the O’Malley’s apartment?” he asked. You tell him you loved it, but aren’t sure if you’ll be able to afford it since it is slightly more expensive than your current place, and Mrs. O’Malley had to ask her husband if he’d allow you to have a guard dog. You ask him how to get the guard dog registered as a service animal so you can keep it with you at all times. He explains the process and tells you that if you need help with that, he knows someone who can help. 

You thank him and the two of you set up a time and place to meet to give him the keys. You tell him to leave the keys on the counter once they have everything out and cleaned. You give him your landlord’s name and phone number and tell him to call your landlord when they’re almost done so he can come lock up the apartment and get the keys. 

He thanks you and tells you he’ll see you soon. 

You hang up and check your other voicemails. You have one from Todd telling you that Mr. O’Malley agreed to let you have the guard dog and the pet deposit would only be $150. He tells you to call him and let him know if you still want the apartment so they can set up a time to go sign the lease. 

You hang up and sigh as Richard comes over to hold you in a hug. “What’s the matter, Love?” he asks.

“I need to sit down and figure out how much my budget is going to be with this new job. Todd says that Mr. O’Malley said I can have the dog at my apartment if I decide to get it and that the Pet Deposit will be $150.” 

“That’s not much!” Says Scarlett. “How much is the rent and security deposit, Sweetheart?” She asks. 

“Mrs. O’Malley said the rent was $850 and the Security Deposit was equal to the first month’s rent. I won’t be getting my deposit back from the old apartment because I had to break the lease, so I’m not sure. I might not be able to get the apartment for a month or so.” You say as you rub your face. “I just need to sit down and see where I am with all my bills. I need to call and cancel the electricity at the old apartment, which I should do today.” You remind yourself. 

“Harley, there’s no hurry to get a place.” Aiden tells you. “I already told you that you can stay at my place for as long as you need.” he says. 

“I know, Aid, but you live on the other end of town from my job and I don’t want to be getting rides every day. I miss my walks to and from work.” You tell him. 

“You are always welcome to stay here, Harley.” Rich reminds you as he gives you a squeeze. 

“I know, Rich. I appreciate both offers, but I need my own place right now. I have a lot of things I need to work through, and I need to know I can make it on my own without needing help every month with bills. My ex always demanded to handle everything, and it wasn’t until a few months before my surgery that I found out how much he had screwed things up for me. He totally ruined my credit and wasn’t paying bills and was taking my paychecks and blowing them on frivolous stuff. It took me months to repair the financial damage he destroyed. He had access to everything: credit cards, bank accounts… it all had to be closed or cancelled and re-issued under my name only and an identity theft warning was placed on my Social Security number and bank accounts so I’d know if he tried to use them.” You explain as you rub your face.

“I need to be able to just be myself and stand on my own two feet for a while and be able to do what I want, when I want. I appreciate the help you all offer and give, don’t get me wrong. This is just something I need to do for me and for my own piece of mind.” You explain.

“I understand, Love. Just know that we are here for you IF you decide you want help.” Richard tells you. Aiden, Sophie, Martin and Amanda agree and nod. 

You thank them and sigh as Richard holds you in his arms. “So, what do you want to do today, Harley?” Sophie asks. 

You think for a minute. “I need to head back to your apartment, Aid. I need to change clothes and sit down and figure out my budget before I do anything else. I need to meet Alex at the precinct to give him my apartment keys for 1pm. Todd wants me to call him back to let him know if I want the apartment or not and I suppose I should take a look at what my options are for guard dogs.” You reply. 

“Graham has a friend who trains guard dogs.” Amanda tells you. “He has some wonderful dogs! Beautiful and EXTREMELY well trained. They come registered as service dogs if you’re getting them for personal protection. I assume you’d be taking it everywhere with you?” She asks. 

You nod. “Yeah.” 

“What kind of dog do you want?” Aiden asks. 

“I don’t really know.” You reply. “I’m terrified of some kinds of dogs.” You tell him. 

He looks at you confused, “Why?” he asks.

You look down at the floor. “I was charged by a Rottie and a Doberman when I was a toddler and they terrified me. They were inches from my face, growling and snapping at me. They had broken their ¼” thick chains and charged me and mom for some reason. Completely unprovoked.

Another time, our neighbor in an apartment building I lived in had a boxer and a pit bull. He had just taken them out of his unit’s door, when they saw me come up the stairs. They charged me and pinned me against the wall, barking and growling at me when I did nothing to provoke them. I don’t know if he wasn’t holding onto their leashes tight enough or at all, but they terrified me.” You tell him. 

You feel Richard hold you close, and you feel safe in his arms. “Well, we’ll scratch them off the list, then.” Says Amanda.

Richard looks up at the clock on the wall. “Well if we’re going to get anything done today, I suggest we get a move on it. I’m going to go shower and get dressed.” He tells everyone. 

“We had better head out honey.” Amanda tells Martin. “It was nice to meet you, Harley, feel free to join us and hang out and party whenever you like.” She says and gives you a hug. You hug her back surprised. You look over to Martin who also has a surprised look on his face, but grins and nods at you. 

“Thank you, Amanda. I will try to join you all when I am able.” You tell her. 

See you later, Rich, she tells him as her and Martin head out. “Thanks for the fun party and for breakfast!” she tells Rich as Martin pulls her down the hallway and out the door. Making everyone chuckle.

Rich looks at you. “I suppose you’re heading out with Aid and Scar?” he asks. 

You look at them and they nod. You look back at Richard and nod.

“Come here,” he says and gives you a tight hug. “Thank you for coming to the party last night, and for this morning.” He whispers in your ear. “I love you, Harley. Please be safe and let me know how you’re doing later on today. If you want me to come hang out with you after a while, call me, Ok?” he tells you. 

You look up at him and nod. “Ok, Rich.” You say. He leans down and gives you a deep kiss that lasts a few minutes. “God, you’re addicting!” he whispers as he breaks the kiss, causing you to blush. “and you’re beautiful when you’re blushing like that.” He teases, making you blush a deeper red. 

“Rich what are you saying to her to make her so red?” Scarlett teases.   
Richard looks up at her and smirks. “Wouldn’t you like to know!” he says with an impish grin. 

Aiden just laughs, “Come on, ladies, let’s get going so Rich can go cool off in the shower!” he teases. 

Richard holds you a little longer. “I wish you didn’t have to go and would stay here.” He tells you, “but I understand your reasons.” He says and reluctantly lets you go with another passionate kiss.

You giggle and go to grab your coat and backpack.

You give him another hug at the door, enjoying his manly scent and bare chest before Scarlett drags you out the door. “See you later.” You call out and wave to him as he stands in the doorway waving and looking like a lovesick puppy. 

Rich sighs, and watches the three of you drive off. He closes the door and looks around at his now empty and too quiet home and sighs again. He goes around picking up the living room, thankful no one puked this time. 

He takes out the garbage and then heads up to his room to shower. He notices your long strands of hair stuck in his comb on the counter and chuckled as he pulls them out and shook his head at how long some of them were. He thought Thorin’s wig length was annoying, he couldn’t fathom having hair as long as yours was. 

Rich put the comb back down on the counter and tossed the hair in the garbage, then stripped down and climbed in the shower to freshen up. 


	8. Chapter 8

You get back to the apartment with Aiden and Scarlett and they let you go off to your room. You sit down on the bed and sigh. It would be easier on you if you just moved in with Richard, but you truly felt you just needed a break from living with men and had a place of your own.

You took off your corset, carefully hanging it up to air out. You decided to get a few more so you weren’t wearing the same two all the time, if your finances allowed it this month. You took off your skinny jeans, socks, underwear and shirt and tossed everything into the laundry basket in the closet. Then you went into the bathroom, let down your hair and climbed into the shower.

You stood there under the warm water thinking about Richard, wondering if he was in his shower right now. You giggled at him calling you addicting. As you washed your hair and showered, you thought about your conversations with him since you met him and how he treated you.

You thought about your conversation with Graham in the bookstore and the car as he drove you to Richard’s place. You suddenly realized there was no way he could’ve gotten to the studio from Richard’s place in the short amount of time there was between you texting Scarlett and you arriving at the studio. You realized that Graham was one of the last people to leave the shop yesterday. You wondered if he knew about Richard’s party, maybe even convinced Richard to have one so they could hook you two up, and had planned with Scarlett to pick you up and take you to the party! 

You chuckled, thinking back on all that Graham has said to you. He was always encouraging you to give Richard a chance and to let him date you. Was he trying to set you up with Richard? Was Scarlett and Aiden in on it too? You wondered. 

You missed your parents, the way Graham talked to you in the car, reminded you of how your dad and grandpa talked to you. They often didn’t like the men you dated. Would they have liked Richard and his friends if heart attacks and strokes hadn’t claimed their lives? You hoped so. 

You realized these friends all were different than what you and Scarlett normally would hang out with. Maybe it was a good thing for the two of you to meet them at the Squawking Raven that night, and maybe it was a good thing Scarlett went home with Aiden. It sure has changed both of your lives for seemingly the better.

You were still thinking about all of this when you got out of the shower and dried off. You wrapped the towel around you and walked into your room to find a box sitting on your bed. You looked around puzzled. Walking over to it you noticed a note. 

Opening it, you found a message from Graham.   
“Hey, sweetheart. I hope ya had fun at Rich’s party last night. Hope ya don’t mind, but I saw this and thought it would look smashing on ya for maybe a first date with Rich or a special event. He adores ya, Sweetheart. We all do. Enjoy the gift, it’s from all of us. We’re rooting for ya!” - Graham.  
  
You open the box and see a gorgeous black velvet strapless gown with a black and silver brocade underbust corset. You are speechless. It looks like something someone would wear on the red carpet! You pull the dress out of the box and hold it up to you. It is floor length with a small train. Under the dress is a set of beautiful black and silver jewelry: A short collar length necklace with earrings and bracelet and a stunning ring.

You wonder what Graham knows that you don’t. You giggle and try the dress on. It is a little big on you, but you could have it taken in easily enough. You try on the corset and it fits you like a glove. You dance around the room giggling. 

When you finally calm down, you put the jewlery in your jewelry box, then carefully put the dress back in the box since it will need to be altered slightly. You look for tags indicating where it was bought, but find none. You run your hand along the velvet and know that if you wear it around Richard, he won’t be able to stop petting you all night long. You grin.

You decide to wear the corset today as a teaser, and to thank Graham for it if you see him. You dig through your clothes and find your other pair of leather pants, the ones that fit a little looser, have cut outs on the lower legs, and are thicker leather. Then you pull out a long sleeve off the shoulder black shirt to put under the corset. 

After you get dressed, you carefully comb out and oil your hair and then start to put it into one long five strand braid. You call for Scarlett to help you since you can only reach so far. Aiden follows her into your room and stops dead in his tracks when he sees you standing in front of the mirror in the corset and leather pants. 

Scarlett comes over and helps you finish the braid and then helps you weave a silver ribbon through the braid, tying it off at the bottom. 

You turn and go to the small jewelry box and dig around for your silver dangly earrings and necklace and put them on. 

You turn and ask, “So??? Does this look okay?” 

He looks at Scarlett, who is smirking, and he nods, completely at a loss for words. 

Scarlett looks down at the box. “I take it you opened the gift?” she asks. You nod. “Yeah. It’s a gorgeous dress and I love the corset and jewelry. I’m gonna need to have the dress altered though, it’s a little big on me.” You say sheepishly. 

“Did Graham really get these for me?” you ask with a raised eyebrow. Scarlet beams, “Yup… with a little help.” She smirks. We were out shopping with him yesterday, since the rest of the guys had to work at the studio doing filming. He mentioned seeing us shopping and how he was trying to hook you and Rich up.” She giggled. 

“He said Rich had mentioned wanting to take you to a certain place maybe for a first date if Rich could screw up enough courage to ask you out, and asked me if you had anything fancy to wear for it. I told him no, since we just purged your closet and it would take a while to build it back up. Don’t worry, Sweetheart, I told him you’re on an all black clothing kick lately, but that a splash of color here and there should be considered on special occasions.” She tells you giggling.

Aiden just watches the two of you with a knowing smirk. Trying to gauge your reaction to the very expensive gift. You looked down at the dress again and ran your fingers over the soft velvet. 

“If I wear this, Rich will be petting me all night long. He already can’t seem to keep his paws off of me!” you giggle.

Scarlett just chuckles, “Is that a bad thing?” she asks, grinning like a Cheshire cat. You grin mischievously, “It depends.” You say with a wink.

“So where does he want to take me for a first date?” you ask with a raised eyebrow.

Both Aiden and Scarlett grin, “We’re not allowed to tell you. It’s supposed to be a surprise.” They tell you. 

You roll your eyes. “Well I guess I had better find a place to have this taken in then, so it is ready whenever he decides to ask me on said date.” You tell them. 

They both giggle. “Graham said he’ll take you to have it fitted properly closer to the date. For now, though you should hang it up, so it doesn’t crease, Har.” Scarlett tells you as she pulls it out of the box again. She holds it up to you and grins picturing it on you with the corset. Nodding, she walks into your closet and hangs it up on one of the velvet lined hangers. 

“So now what are you going to do?” Aiden asks. 

“I think I’ll sit down and figure out my finances now. I have a tentative schedule worked out with Todd, so I can figure out approximately how much take home pay I will be getting each month. He is paying me more than what I had expected, so we’ll see how things turn out.” You tell him. 

“Ok, well we were gonna go out for a bit. Are you going to be all right here by yourself?” they ask. 

You nod. “Yeah, just make sure you lock the door when you leave.” You tell them.

They nod, “Okay, Harley. Call if you need anything or a ride anywhere.” Aiden tells you.

Then they head out.

You dig around in your stuff till you have all your bills and a notebook. Sitting everything down on the kitchen counter, you sit on the bar stool and start writing down all your bills:   
• Electricity  
• Phone  
• Internet  
• Spotify  
• Hulu  
• Netflix  
• Renter’s insurance  
• Health insurance  
• Hospital bills  
• Clinic bills  
• Food, toiletries

You call the electricity company and ask them to disconnect the power to your old apartment tomorrow morning because you are moving out. You pay the bill and thank them. 

Next you look up how much food a dog eats per month. You write it down and then look up how much it will cost for that much dog food each month. You add it to the list of bills. Then you look up costs for stuff like flea and tick meds, heartworm meds, and pet grooming. You add that all to the list as well. 

Finally, you factor in the rent for the new place.   
It will be tight for a few months, but you think you can swing it on your own if your friends who promised to help with the start up costs for the dog follow through with their promise.

You search online for what breeds of dogs make good guard dogs and look at the pictures.  
You like the Akitas, Belgian Malinois, Belgian Sheepdogs, Belgian Tervuren, German Shepherds, and Siberian Huskies.

You text Todd that you would like the apartment, and that you’re meeting Alex at the precinct at 1pm. You tell him you could meet him after that. He tells you he will call the O’Malleys and set up a time with them then call you back. 

After talking with Todd, you hang up and then text Richard. 

“Um, hi, it’s me, Harley. Would I be able to get a ride to the precinct that Alex works at for 1pm so I can give him my keys? Scarlett and Aiden are out for a bit and I don’t want to bother them. If you can’t that’s ok. I will call a taxi. Let me know.”

He calls you back a minute later and tells you he can give you a ride. You tell him you’re at Aiden’s apartment and he can pick you up there. “Would you want to give me a ride to my new apartment so I can sign the lease too?” you ask shyly. 

“Sweetheart, for you, I’d move heaven and earth to help you however you need.” He tells you. You giggle. “Thanks, Rich.” You tell him. 

“Let me finish what I’m workin’ on here, and I will be over in about 20 minutes.” He tells you. You thank him again and the two of you hang up.

You text Alex and ask for the address of the Precinct and ask if it is ok if you bring your new boyfriend with. He texts you back “Here’s the address. (insert precinct address). And do I need to run a background check on the guy? 😉 J/k.” 

Chuckling, you text back, “Well, It’s Richard Armitage, so I think I’ll be safe with him. 😉 but don’t tell anyone. He likes his privacy and he just asked me to be his girl this morning after he finally worked up the nerve. ***giggles***.”

“Congrats!” he texts back. “I love his acting!” he tells you. “See you two at the precinct. You’re secret is safe with me!” he tells you. 

“Thanks Alex. By the way, I’m heading over to sign the lease with the O’Malleys when I get done at the precinct! 😊” you text him.

“Great! Do you just want us to bring your stuff there?” he asks. 

“Can we put it in storage till my day off?” you ask. “I’m still trying to get some stuff worked out here on my end.” You ask. 

“Sure thing, Harley. Just let us know when you want it moved and the guys said they’ll come move it in for you on their day off.” He texts back.

“ok. Thanks!” you reply.

You are feeling more optimistic now and decide to go to your room and put some makeup on. You do so and add your ylang ylang perfume oil on your neck by your ears and a drop on your wrists. You grin and look at yourself in the mirror. You really like the corset that Graham bought for you and suspect Scarlett helped him pick it out since she knows your sizes. 

You get a text a few minutes later that Richard is on his way. 

Wandering into the closet, you try to decide which boots you want to wear. You decide to put the knee-high heels on so you’re a little taller standing next to Richard. You wonder if he will like how you look today. 

You pick out the high-low jacket with the purple lining once you check the weather on your phone. You don’t want to be caught in the rain, and the app says it’s supposed to be a sunny and nice day, so you pick the high-low jacket. 

Digging around in the closet, you find your black messenger bag and transfer your phone charging cords, speakers, phone, wallet and earbuds into it. You take your pouch that you had tied to your corset the other night and put it into the messenger bag as well. 

You put your brush, comb, some hair ties and hairpins and your perfume oil into a little container and put it in your bag as well. You make a mental note to get a travel toothbrush, deodorant, container for your hair oil, and travel comb and brush set to keep with you in case you are kidnapped by your friends again and end up stuck at someone’s house overnight. 

You chuckle and walk into the living room with your bag and coat just as you hear the doorbell ring. Walking over to the door, you open it and find Richard standing there with a bouquet of flowers. He sees you and gives you a big smile. “Hey, Love, you look amazing this morning!” he tells you as you take the flowers and give him a kiss.”

He follows you into the kitchen and you dig around for a vase or something to put the flowers in. Richard chuckles and opens up a cabinet on the top side of the fridge that you couldn’t reach and finds a vase for you. “Here, Love.” He tells you as he hands it to you. 

Thanking him, you fill it with water and dump the powder packet of plant food in and then cut the flower stems and place them in the vase. “They smell amazing, Richard, thank you!” 

You place the flowers on the counter and then notice he has a card for you. He hands it to you, and you read it. You look up at him and try not to cry. “Rich, you’re gonna make me cry and ruin my makeup!” you tell him. He chuckles and says, “Well, it’s a good thing we haven’t left yet then!” he says as he cups your face and gives you a searing kiss. 

He pulls you into his arms, holding you close as he kisses you. When you both finally come up for air, he chuckles and tells you he is so happy you agreed to date him and be his girl. He asks you if you got your finances figured out and you nod. You show him your paper and the notes. 

He frowns. “It’s gonna be really tight for you, Hun.” He says a little worried. “You sure you want to go this route? My offer still stands.” He says. 

“I know, Rich.” You tell him as you snuggle into his arms. “But I’ve lived with someone or another ever since my parents died. I’ve never had a place that is just my own. It is something I need to try once at least. If I need help with bills, I promise I will let someone know.” You tell him.

He hugs you and sighs. “All right, Sweetheart. Now where is this precinct I need to get you to by 1pm?” he asks. You give him the address and he puts it into his phone’s navigation. “Oh! That won’t be too far from here. We have some time yet. Want to go get some lunch?” he asks. 

You nod. “Oh, wait, I gotta go get something out of my backpack! I almost forgot about it!” you tell him as you run to your room. You dig in your bag and look for the restraining order. You momentarily panic when you can’t find it, but then check your jacket you wore yesterday and find it in the pocket. You grab the change you forgot to give to Todd as well. 

You put the restraining order in your messenger bag’s front pocket and tell Rich it’s there in case anything happens to you. Then you grab a baggie and put Todd’s change from lunch yesterday in it and toss it in the messenger bag as well. 

Your phone starts to ring, and you pick it up. You see it’s Todd and he tells you to meet him at the apartment for 2pm. He asks if you need a ride and you tell him, no, you will get a ride there. “I’ll text you the address, so you have it.” He tells you. You thank him and hang up. A moment later you receive the text with the address, and forward it to Richard with a note, “Here is my new address. 😊”

Rich looks down at the text and chuckles. He helps you into your jacket and you sling the messenger bag across your body. “Ready!” you say and give him a hug, pulling him down for a kiss. “Someone’s in a good mood today!” he chuckles. “Mmmmm, you smell divine, Sweetheart! I might have to just kiss you here all day.” He teases. 

You chuckle and he nibbles your neck as he backs you to the door casing. You giggle and manage to squeak out, “Rich, we need to go get lunch!” 

He looks up from nuzzling your neck and gives you a mischievous look. “I have my lunch right here.” He says and gives you a little squeeze. You squeak and he chuckles. 

“Ok, ok. We’ll go get you some food.” He says in a mock offended tone, making you giggle and give him the stink eye. 

“Be good or you won’t get your surprise.” You tell him. He raises an eyebrow. You just grin and head for the door. He follows and you both slip out into the hallway. You lock the door and text Scarlet where you’re going, and that Rich is taking you to run some errands. 

She replies, “Okay, have fun! 😉”

The two of you walk down to the elevator and wait for it after you push the down button. Rich grabs your hand and intertwines his fingers with yours and kisses the back of your hand. 

“Would you like to go look at some potential dogs with me and Graham when we get done with your apartment stuff?” he asks. “I saw you had made a list of some you liked.” 

You nod. “Sure, if we have time.” You tell him. He grins and nods. The elevator arrives and whisks you both down to the ground floor and Richard escorts you out to his BMW and the two of you take off. 

“Where do you want to go eat at, Love?” he asks. You think for a bit, then grin. “How about we get a pizza, and a bottle of wine and have a picnic by the lake?” you ask. 

He looks at you surprised, and you grin. “All right, Love, whatever makes you happy.” He tells you with a chuckle. You look at him for a moment, what would you pick if it was up to you?” you ask, curious.

He grins and says, “That will be a surprise. For now, we’ll get you your pizza and wine.” He smirks. 

You raise your eyebrow, but don’t question him further. You look out at the passing scenery and sigh contentedly. He glances over at you then back to the road. He gives your hand a squeeze. “You all right, Love?” he asks after a little bit.

You nod. “I’m just curious. It seems like Graham was having fun playing matchmaker.” You reply as you look over at Richard. He keeps a straight face, despite knowing he asked Graham to do so after hearing him rant about you all afternoon and especially after meeting you at the bar. “Is that so?” he asks. “What makes you say that?” he asks with a raised eyebrow.

“He just encourages me a lot when we talk, and he is always talking about you and how you’d take care of me and would be a great boyfriend for me.” You tell him. “I think he and Scarlett planned to kidnap me after work yesterday so I would have to come to the party. There is no way he could’ve gotten from your place to the studio in the amount of time that lapsed between me texting Scarlett and me arriving. 

He was already in the car, and it was parked on the side of the street when I got there with Todd after looking at the apartment. The engine on Graham’s jaguar was cold, so he had been there long enough that the hood was cool to the touch. 

Now that I think of it, he had been into my work earlier yesterday afternoon and we had to shoo him out along with a bunch of other guests when we closed.” You tell him as you put your free hand to your chin and rub it, thinking. 

Richard glances at you and you see a surprised look on his face. 

You grin. “I think he knew about your party and planned to ‘conveniently’ be nearby to pick me up and used Aiden’s tendency to get hammered as an excuse. I suppose Scarlett texted him where to pick me up and he just went there, parked and read his book till I showed up.” You say.

Richard struggled to keep a straight face, annoyed that you figured out their plot to get you to the party so quickly.

“Is that so?” he replies. “Well, Graham likes you, sweetheart. It wouldn’t surprise me if he had fun meddling like that. He kind of thinks of you as his kid, you know.” He tells you. 

You look at Richard in disbelief. “What?” 

He grins seeing you thrown off track. “Yup. Scarlett told him you didn’t have any family left so I guess he took it upon himself to take you under his wing and be a father figure.” He chuckles. “He even gave me ‘the talk’ and told me that if I screwed up enough courage to ask you out, that I better be good to you or he’d beat my head in.” Richard chuckles.

You put your head in your hand and groan, making Richard laugh. “Don’t worry, Sweetheart, he is thoroughly enjoying it. He doesn’t get to see his girls very often cuz of his acting. So, let him have his fun. I don’t mind.” Rich tells you. 

“All right.” You say as Richard pulls into a pizza place and the two of you get out of his car. You both head into the pizza place and order a medium pepperoni pizza. They tell you it will be ready in about 15 minutes. 

Richard asks if there’s a liquor store anywhere nearby and they tell you there’s one a block away. He asks if you want to wait here for the pizza or come with him. You opt to join him, and you pay for the pizza and then tell them you’ll be back in 15 minutes. 

Rich ushers you to the car and opens the door for you. You get in and the two of you head for the liquor store. You think about getting wine, then realize that you’re meeting with cops afterward. You mention it to Rich and say, “Maybe we better do something that is not alcoholic this time since we will be meeting with cops and a retired officer and detective.” You suggest. He pulls over and parks on the side of the road.

He smirks and nods. “Yeah, that’s a good idea, now that you mention it. What did you have in mind then?” he asks. 

“What kind of pop do you like? I don’t have pop often, but I’d be okay with pop this time.” You tell him. 

Chuckling, he says, “I’ll drink almost any pop, sweetheart.” 

You grin. “Rootbeer it is then!” and he grins and rolls his eyes. He leans over the center console and grabs your face and kisses you. “You’re just so cute.” He tells you with laughing eyes. 

You give him a beaming smile and tell him, “You’re cute too! Sweet cheeks.” You smirk.

You see his ears get pink and he grins and kisses you again. The two of you spend your 15 minute wait for the pizza in the car, kissing and talking. Then he drives back to the pizza shop and you run in while he waits and you grab the pizza, plates, napkins, and buy two 20oz bottles of root beer and head back to the car. 

You hand the pizza to him and put the bag with the rest of the stuff on the floor by your feet, and then buckle up. He hands you the pizza back and he pulls out of the parking lot and heads for the lake. The two of you find a nice spot with a picnic table and sit down to eat. 

It’s a beautiful day and the two of you have a fun time. Some ducks come over and you toss them the inside part of the crust from your pizza and they happily eat it. Richard takes a couple pictures of you feeding the ducks out of your hand and then the two of you pack up and head back to the car. 

He leans against it and pulls you in for a kiss. “That was fun, Sweetheart. We should do this again sometime.” He tells you. You nod. 

“Ready to head out?” he asks, as he looks at his watch. 

“Yup.” You reply. 

He stands up and opens the door for you and helps you in, then closes the door and gets in on his side. 

The two of you head over to the precinct and arrive a little before 1pm.


	9. Chapter 9

The two of you walk in and are greeted by the desk clerk. “Can I help you?” she asks. 

You nod. “I’m here to see Officer Sand.” You tell her. 

“Have a seat over there and I’ll let him know you’re here. What’s your name, Honey?” she asks.

“I’m Harley. He is handling my case with my ex who attacked me a couple nights ago.” You tell her.

“Are you the one he and a few of the boys are helping to move out of an apartment?” she asks. 

You nod. 

“Hope things can get straightened out for you, Sweetheart. Your ex sure did a number on a couple of our boys.” She tells you. 

“I’m sorry they were hurt. He doesn’t listen to anyone and won’t take orders from anyone either. So it doesn’t surprise me he would resist them. But I do appreciate all you officers do to keep me safe and protected.” You tell her. “If they wouldn’t have shown up when they did, I would’ve ended up either in the hospital or dead from what my ex threatened to do.” You tell her. 

She nods. “Glad our officers could help you Sweetheart. I’ll be right back.” She tells you. 

You sit and wait with Richard for a few minutes. He holds your hand and the two of you talk quietly; then the desk clerk comes back. “He’ll be right out.” She tells you. 

A minute later, Alex comes out with four other officers. He introduces them to you and Richard. Alex tells you they will be helping him move your stuff out of your Apartment.   
Richard thanks them for coming to your aid that night and thanks them for helping you with moving. They grin and tell him they are happy to do so. You give Alex the keys and remind him to call the landlord when they are almost done so he can get the keys from him and lock up the unit. Alex nods and tells you not to worry. 

You thank them all again and head out with Richard, his hand warm against your low back. He opens the door for you and helps you in the car, then gets into his side. You pull up the address again for the new apartment and the two of you head over there. You get there a little before 2pm. You see Todd’s truck when you get out of the BMW and Richard wraps your hand around his arm and the two of you walk over to the truck. 

Todd looks up and sees you walking over and shimmies out of the truck to greet you. You introduce him to Richard and the three of you head up to the door of the building. Todd buzzes the O’Malley’s button and Mr. O’Malley answers. Todd tells him you’re here and Mr. O’Malley lets you all in. You and Richard follow Todd up the one short flight of stairs and Mr. O’Malley meets you outside his door. 

Todd introduces the two of you to Mr. O’Malley and he welcomes you to the building. He heads across the hallway and unlocks the door to the apartment and motions for you all to head inside.   
Richard looks around appreciatively at the apartment. He is surprised at how small it is compared to his place but doesn’t say anything. 

Mr. O’Malley shows you the lease and the building’s rules and regulations. He asks about your dog and you explain that you are starting the process of getting one, but don’t have it yet. He tells you to just let them know when you get it and make sure to pay the pet deposit before you bring him home. He goes through the lease with you and you sign and initial where needed. You write out the check for the security deposit and the rent and he hands you the keys. “Welcome home Miss Harley!” he tells you and you grin. 

“Thank you both for all your help with this!” you tell him and Todd. They both chuckle and tell you they are happy to help. You tell Mr. O’Malley that Alex and the other officers from his beat will be moving your stuff in for you from the old apartment sometime this week when you get a day off to tell them where to put everything.” He nods. 

“Thanks for letting us know, Harley. We’ll keep an ear out for them and make sure they have what they need for getting your stuff in.” he tells you. 

“Harley, what day do you want off to move your stuff over?” Todd asks. “I’m pretty flexible with the schedule, so if you need time off to move and get unpacked, just let me know. We can shift hours around, no worries.” He tells you. 

You text Alex and ask him what day would work for them to move your stuff in?” He replies back a few minutes later, “How about Wednesday?” 

You ask Todd and he nods. “Wednesday is fine.”  
You look up at Richard, “I suppose you’re working Wednesday?” you ask.  
He nods, but says, “I can come help you unpack when we’re done filming for the day, if you like.” 

You grin and nod. “Ok, We’ll do Wednesday.” You text Alex back.   
He replies, “Ok, see you then. Tell Mr. O’Malley we’ll need enough room in front to park a moving truck, so he can cone it off for parking.” 

“Ok, done.” You text back and tell Mr. O’Malley what Alex said. He chuckles and nods. 

“Haley, do you have a current picture of your ex that we can see what he looks like so we can put a notice to the residents to call the police if he is seen around here?” 

You frown, “Um, let me see if I have one in my phone.” You reply. 

You flip through the pictures in your phone and find the one from Christmas. You edit it and crop your face out of the picture and save it. Then you ask Mr. O’Malley for the phone number or e-mail to send it to. You tell him it’s the photo from Christmas so that is the most recent one of him you have.

He tells you to e-mail it to him and gives you his e-mail address. He also asks if you have your restraining order with you. You nod. “Would you mind if I made a copy of it to put in your file?” he asks. You shake your head and pull it out. Handing it to him you watch as he looks it over and then nods. “I’ll be right back with this.” He tells you and heads over to his apartment to make a copy. 

He comes back a few minutes later with it and hands it back to you. “Everything is in order then, if you’ll come with me, I’ll show you your garage.” He tells you as he reaches into the kitchen drawer and grabs the garage door remote. “You have two remotes, so don’t lose them. Most tenants keep one in their vehicle and one in the apartment.” He tells you. 

You all follow Mr. O’Malley out into the hallway. You lock up the apartment and then follow him down the hallway and out the back door. He leads you directly out across the parking lot and over to garage #2. He presses the remote and the door opens to reveal a clean garage with shelving built into the back wall. You walk in and look around. 

“I don’t have a car, but I suppose I can use the extra storage space for stuff. Is the parking lot here for guests or residents only?” you ask. 

It is for both. There are no assigned spots, so it is first come first served. If you have company, depending on the number of guests, we ask that you limit the number parking in the lot so that our tenants with more than one vehicle have places to park when they come home.” He tells you. 

“Ok.” You reply. “Not that I plan to have any huge parties.” You tease. “I prefer to keep it to small groups.” You grin.

Mr. O’Malley nods. “Oh! I almost forgot to show you the laundry room! We ask that you set a timer for the loads, so you don’t leave clothes in the machines. Laundry hours are from 9am-9pm daily. He tells you as you close the garage door, and you all follow him to the laundry room. 

It is clean and you see there are 4 washers and 4 dryers. “Make sure you clean out the lint traps in the dryers after each use, and we ask that you don’t overload the machines, and that you only use liquid detergents and liquid fabric softeners in the washers to prevent build up.” He tells you. 

“Ok!” you say cheerily.

Mr. O’Malley leads you back up to the main landing and points to your mailbox. “This is your mailbox. Please make sure you put a slip of paper inside it with your name on it, so the mailman knows who it belongs to. You can put your rent check in this box here each month on the first or you can just knock on our door and hand it to us if you prefer. It’s always due on the 1st by 11:59pm.” He informs you. 

You nod. 

“Do you have any other questions?” he asks. 

“Not that I can think of right now, Mr. O’Malley. Thanks for letting me move in here!” you tell him. 

He smiles. “My pleasure. I hope you enjoy it here. If you need anything or have any problems, don’t hesitate to let us know right away.” He tells you. 

“Ok. Will do!”   
“Have a nice day then, Miss Harley.” He tells you as he shakes your hand. “Nice to meet you Mr. Armitage” he says to Richard and shakes his hand. Todd, we’ll see you later!” he says and shakes Todd’s hand then heads up into his apartment.

Todd grins at you. “Well I gotta get going, Sweetheart, You two have a good rest of your weekend. See you Monday!” he tells you. “Nice to meet you Richard!” he says and pats Richard on the shoulder. 

“Oh, Todd, here!” you tell him as you hand him the baggie of money. “I forgot to give you your change from when I picked up your lunch yesterday.” He thanks you and then heads out to his truck. 

Richard chuckles. You grab his hand and pull him back up to your door. You unlock it and head inside again. Richard follows and closes the door. You grin and look around at your new home and let out a little squeal and do a happy dance, making Richard laugh. 

You wander into the bedroom area and look around trying to figure out how you want your room set up. Richard follows you and leans against the door casing, watching you lost in thought. He grins and walks up behind you. He leans down and puts his chin on your shoulder and wraps his arms around your waist. 

“Are you happy, Love?” he asks in your ear as he peppers your neck with gentle kisses. 

Leaning back into his embrace, you mumble, “MmmmmHmmm. I finally have my own place where I can unwind and do what I want. I can have whomever I want over, and I can decorate it however I want to have it. I can stay up as late as I want and just be myself.” You sigh happily. 

Richard smiles seeing you content. He turns you around, so you face him. And you wrap your arms around his neck and pull him down into a kiss. “Thanks for being so understanding about this. I know you’d rather I stay with you, but I appreciate you letting me do this.” You tell him with a grin. 

He smiles and picks you up and carries you to the kitchen. He plops your butt on the counter and moves between your legs so he can get closer to you. You giggle when you realize you two are almost eye level now. “Hey, now you don’t have to bend down to kiss me!” you giggle. 

He raises an eyebrow and gives you a mischievous smirk. “I think we need to test out this theory.” He teases and kisses you soundly for several minutes as he entwines his fingers in your hair and rubs your back, pulling you flush against him. When you both come up for air, you are panting and feeling incredibly loved. “Wow!” you grin.

He just grins. He looks around the kitchen and tries to picture how you might decorate it. “Is there anything you’re gonna need for this place?” he asks. 

You shrug. “I’m not really sure. I didn’t really have much other than my bed, dresser, the usual kitchen stuff, my tv/blueray player, the tv stand, my desk, and a couple chairs. My ex broke my couch before he left, and I never got around to replacing it.” You tell Richard. 

Richard looks at you surprised. “Don’t you have a dining set?” he asks. You shake your head. “He broke that too.” You say sadly. “It was my parent’s set they had gotten as a wedding gift. I cried when he trashed it and my couch.” You tell Richard. 

He tilts your face up to his. “I will get you a new one for here. Once your stuff arrives on Wednesday and we get it into place so we can see what kind of room you will have, we will go shopping and you can pick out whatever you like.” He tells you. 

You look at him stunned. “Richard…” you start. But he puts a finger to your lips. “I insist, Sweetheart. You need more than a couple of chairs for guests to sit in, and you will need a dining set. You know darn well, Scarlett and Aiden and I will come visit, I’m sure Graham, Martin and Amanda will too. Maybe even Lee or Orlando will stop by and say hello on occasion.” He tells you. 

“Now is there anything else you need now that you know you will have at least 7 or 8 people here at any given time to hang out?” he asks you. 

You blush, “I never have entertained anyone before. All my dishes are stuff we got from thrift stores and I only had a place setting for 4 people. None of it matches.” You say a little embarrassed. 

“Then we will get you a new set so you can have fun entertaining.” He tells you and kisses you gently. 

“If you think of anything else, let me know, Sweetheart. Don’t be afraid to ask. I want to pamper you and give you nice things. You deserve to be treated well and have nice things after all you’ve been through.” He tells you as he looks in your ice blue eyes. “Money is not an issue for me.” He tells you. “I love you and making sure your needs and wants are met is one way I like to show you how much I love you.” He says as he nuzzles your neck, kissing it and caressing your arms and back.

“Oh, Rich. How did I get so lucky to end up with you? I keep feeling like I’m gonna wake up and find this was all a dream.” You tell him. 

He grins and puts his forehead to yours and looks deeply into your eyes. “I’ve been asking myself the same thing.” He tells you, making you blush.

He smirks and backs up a step, looks at you, grins and then pulls out his phone. He takes a picture of you grinning. Then pulls up Spotify on his phone and pulls up the playlist he made of songs he wants to dance to with you. 

Grinning he pushes play and sets the phone on the counter then pulls you off it. Elvis starts singing ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ and you giggle. He takes your hand with his and you take his waist with your other hand. He holds you close and you two start to slow dance in the kitchen as Richard sings along quietly to the music. 

You grin and look up at him and he smiles as he looks down at you. You rest your head on his chest and listen to his voice through his chest and he rests his head on yours. You both dance like that through several songs including ‘You are so Beautiful” by Joe Cocker and ‘My Girl’ by the Temptations and “I’ll Be There” by The Jackson 5. 

You giggle as he tries to sing ‘When a Man Loves a Woman” and you both end up in giggles and he just holds you close and dances with you as you both listen to the music and the lyrics.

You chuckle when the next song comes on and it’s ‘The Longest Time’ by Billy Joel. “I think that’s our song…” you giggle. 

Richard grins and nods. “Though I think my song for you is ‘Pretty Woman’. And you grin and blush earning a chuckle from him.

Soon after, Richard’s phone switches to Graham’s ringtone and Richard looks over and sees it’s him calling. 

He goes and picks up the phone, “Hey Graham… we just finished and got the keys. Yeah, have them drop you off… hang on a second.” He says and covers the mouthpiece on the phone.

“Honey, is it ok if Aiden drops Graham off here? They all want to see the new apartment and then we can go look at the dogs with Graham.” He asks you. 

“Yeah, Oh! Hang on a second... I forgot to ask which buzzer is mine.” You tell him and head to the door to ask Mr. O’Malley. 

You ring his doorbell and ask him when he answers. He apologizes and shows you it’s apartment #2. He suggests that you not put your name on it though, “If your ex does show up here, he won’t know which unit is yours. If you have company coming over just tell them to push buzzer number 2” he tells you. You nod and thank him and head back into your apartment. 

You tell Richard to tell them to push buzzer #2 when they get here. He nods and tells them.

Richard hangs up and grins, “Now, where were we?” he asks with a grin and flips back to the playlist he had. He grins and flips it to ‘Pretty Woman’ and hits play. You start to giggle, and he starts to dance with you in the kitchen as he sings along. You giggle and start to act out the song with him, making him get a huge grin on his face. The two of you are giggling and laughing as the song finishes and you come waltzing into his arms and the two of you walk over to the window and look out and see Aiden’s car pull up. 

“Nice timing!” you giggle. Richard smirks and heads back over to the kitchen to shut off the music. You head over to the intercom and buzzer system when you see them head up to the door. 

You jump when the buzzer goes off, making Richard chuckle. And you answer it and tell them to come up the first flight of stairs and it’s the apartment on the right. #2. Then you buzz them in.

You hear them come up the steps and ring the doorbell. You open the door and grin. “Welcome to my new apartment!” you giggle. They come in and look around. Graham grins and sees you’re wearing the corset he bought for you. 

You give them the little tour, and everyone is chuckling at your blue bathroom. “I love it! Blue is one of my favourite colors! You say. “Scarlett look how deep the tub and sink are!” They all peek their heads in to have a look and Scarlett grins and says, “I know where you’re going to spend a LOT of your time!!!” she giggles. 

Graham gives her a puzzled look.

“She loves bubble baths! Especially now that the three months is up for the surgery!” she explains with a fit of giggles. 

You grin, “I haven’t had a good bubble bath since before Christmas!” you say dreamily and giggle with glee. “I can’t wait to have one in here in this deep bathtub!” you exclaim. 

Making the guys all roll their eyes. But then Richard gets an idea and a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Graham glances at him and as everyone walks past, he leans over and whispers, “Richard, what evil plan are you hatching now? I know that look you have on your face!” 

Richard just grins and wiggles his eyebrows, puts his hand on Graham’s shoulder as he walks past and whispers, “Wouldn’t you like to know!”. And with that, Richard and Graham head into what will be your room. They look around and then head back into the main area. 

You follow them out of your room with Scarlett and they look at your beaming face and can’t help but smile. 

“It’s a nice little place for ya, Lass!” Graham tells you with a grin. “Can’t wait to see what you do with it once yer furniture and belongings arrive.” He says. 

You nod. “That’ll be Wednesday.” You reply. “The officers who responded the night I was attacked are packing my stuff now and are going to put in in their secure storage and will deliver it Wednesday. So, I got Wednesday off from work so I can unpack and direct them where to put stuff, though to be honest, I don’t really have much. It’s all either from my parent’s home or from thrift stores.” You reply. 

“Well, we can come help after work.” Graham tells you. 

You shrug. “If you want to come help, I’m fine with that. I’ll welcome the company as long as it doesn’t get to be too many people. I’m not quite ready to have a party here yet. This is a quiet building, and the landlords live literally across the hall from me at the top of the stairs, so I don’t want to be getting in trouble with them for partying my first week here.” You giggle. 

Graham chuckles. “Okay Lass, no big parties for you! We’ll save those for Aiden’s or Rich’s place.” He teases making both men roll their eyes. 

“You ready to go check out some dogs?” he asks you. You nod. “Sure. I got everything on my ‘to do’ list done now. So, we can go do that.” You reply. You turn and grab your keys off the counter and add the new ones for your apartment to the ring. You go and make sure the bedroom and bathroom lights are off and grab the remote for the garage. 

“Ok, I’m ready now.” you reply. They all head out the door and go quietly down the stairs and wait by the entry door as you lock the door to your apartment then join them. 

Scarlett and Aiden head out first followed by Richard, who is talking with Aiden. Graham gently grabs your arm as you walk out and pats it. “You got my gift, I see?” he asks. 

You blush and nod. “It was left on my bed. I assume Scarlett or Aiden had put it there. Thank you for it. It’s gorgeous, though the dress is a little big on me and will need to be taken in a little.” You tell him. 

He gives you a wink. We’ll go do that closer to the time you’ll need it.” He says, “In the meantime, enjoy the rest of it. The corset looks wonderful on you!” he tells you as you walk down the walkway. 

He grins and gives Richard a wink and nods. Richard nods back and opens the door for you and helps you in, then closes the door and pops around to his side and gets in. Graham climbs into the back seat and sits in the middle so he can talk to you and Richard. 

You lean over and pull down Richard’s sun visor and clip the Garage remote to it. Then flip it back up. “You get to park in the garage when you come visit, since I don’t have a car.” You tell him with a smirk.

He just chuckles and nods. 

“So where is this place we’re going to, Graham?” you ask. Graham grins and tells Rich the address. Rich plugs it into the phone’s navigation and heads out. You notice Aiden and Scarlett following. “Are Aiden and Scarlett coming too?” you ask.

“Yup. They want to see what you’ll pick. They have a bet goin’ as to which color and kind of dog you get.” Graham tells you. You grin. “Scarlett will win, she knows me too well.” You chuckle.

The three of you talk on your way out to the place where Graham’s friend lives. You arrive after about 30 minutes of driving. Graham helps you out of the car and you are surprised you don’t hear many dogs barking. You look around and see a few people in a fenced in area working with some dogs. 

A man comes walking out of the house with a Doberman trotting behind him. When you see it, you freeze and tighten your grip on Richard’s arm. He looks down at you confused for a moment, then remembers what you told him. He grabs Graham’s arm and reminds him you are terrified of Dobermans. 

Graham looks over at you and nods. He hurries to meet his friend and tells him about your fear and why you’re afraid of those dogs. The man looks at you for a moment and nods. He makes a hand motion and the dog goes back into the house. 

Then Graham and the man come over to you and Richard, Scarlett and Aiden and says, “Sorry bout that. He likes to follow me all over. I forget some people are afraid of them.” He tells you. 

“I’m Mark. My family and I train dogs for a variety of things here on our property, don’t worry though, none will hurt you. Now, Graham tells me you need a dog to protect you from an ex-boyfriend and that you need it as a service animal am I correct?” he asks.

You nod. “Yes. I have a restraining order, but I know him well enough that he will not abide by it.” You tell the man. “I walk everywhere and don’t drive so I need to be able to take the dog wherever I go.” You tell Mark.

He nods. “May I see the Restraining Order?” He asks. You take it out of your messenger bag and show it to him. “Ok, that’s all I need for now.” he tells you. “Let’s go and take a look at some of the dogs. We keep them in large kennels in the barn. We have quite a few of the ones you are afraid of, Sweetheart, but they are in the kennels and won’t hurt you.

This is for all of you though… Do not try to pet them unless they come up to you and try to nuzzle your hand through the fence. Let them smell your fingers then if they lick or nuzzle your hand, you may pet them.” He tells you all. 

Mark tells everyone to follow him and he leads you into a huge barn where they have the dogs kenneled. It is well lighted and clean. You stay close to Richard and Graham as you slowly walk past the different kennels looking at the dogs. 

A few come to say hello and want head scritches through the fencing, and Aiden happily does so once they smell his hand and nudge it. 

You see some pretty German Shepherds, a pretty white Akita, and a gorgeous Belgian Malinois, a Belgian Sheepdog/Tervuren mix that looks like a black fluffy wolf. It seems particularly interested in you and keeps trying to nuzzle your hand by poking it’s snout through the fencing, whining quietly. You hesitantly hold out your hand like Mark showed you and it tries to plop it’s head on your fingers as you poke them through the fencing. 

Mark chuckles. “He likes you, Harley. We’ve had him for almost two years, and he has been very finicky who he allows to come near him. I’ve never seen him react like that to someone. He tells you. Richard is standing next to you with his arm around your waist. The dog comes over and sniffs Richard’s hand and licks it letting him pet his head as well. “What is his name?” you asked.

Mark grinned, “Phantom”. We referred to him as the Phantom Menace. He grinned. Richard chuckled. 

When you move to continue looking at the other dogs, the black dog starts to whimper. Mark chuckles and walks over to him with a leash and clips it on the dog’s collar, then unhooks the gate all the way and lets the dog out. The dog patiently stands next to him and is wagging his tail, looking between you and his trainer. 

Mark gives him a hand signal and the dog lies down. Mark makes another signal and lays the leash on the ground then walks towards you and the group. When he gets to the group, he gives the dog the signal to ‘come’ and the dog trots over to you and plops down, rolls on his back onto your feet and licks your boots, looking up at you wanting tummy rubs. You look down at it and giggle.

“I think he chooses, you, Harley.” Aiden says. He squats down and holds out his hand for the dog to sniff. The dog comes over and sniffs it and sits down and puts his head under Aiden’s hand letting him pet him. 

Scarlett squats down and does the same thing. The dog sniffs her hand and licks it like it tastes good. She is laughing and says, “Like how I taste, you black beauty? Well it’s probably the salt from the French fries I was eating!” she laughs.

“Phantom” you call softly, and the dog looks over at you and looks up at his handler. He gives the command to ‘go’ and Phantom comes over to you and sits in front of you. You look up at Richard and he is grinning. He leans over and whispers, “His fur is almost as glossy as your hair and he matches your black color preference perfectly.”

Graham chuckles and watches as the dog comes back over and sits at your feet looking between you and Richard and Graham. 

Mark chuckles. “I think he wants to go home with you, Harley. He has been trained for a guard dog, as well as scent tracking and search and rescue. The police force who had me train him lost their K-9 officer and dog in the riots a couple years ago, so they never claimed him. They gave me permission to sell him to whomever was willing to take him. Because of his all black color, though, none of the area Police were interested.” He tells you. 

“Can you show me what all he is trained to do?” You ask Mark. He grins and nods. He motions for the dog to ‘come’ and the dog goes to him. Mark picks up his leash and tells everyone to follow him out to the training field. You all follow, and he stops at a shed and puts a worn service vest on the dog. 

He tells Aiden to take his jacket off and hand it to Scarlett, then go hide behind one of the larger objects or bushes out in the field. Aiden grins and does so. You laugh when you see him run off and hide. You hadn’t noticed that the trainer had covered the dog’s eyes so it couldn’t see where Aiden hid. 

Once Aiden had hidden, the trainer uncovers the dog’s eyes. He tells Scarlet to hold out Aiden’s jacket to the dog. He tells the dog, “Find him, boy. Go find Aiden.”, then makes a couple hand signals you don’t notice. The dog sniffs Aiden’s jacket then lifts his nose to the air and starts pulling Mark out to the field, he stops occasionally sniffing the air and the ground and in a matter of a few minutes finds Aiden hiding behind one of the bushes in the field. 

Aiden comes back grinning from ear to ear as he talks with Mark, who then calls over one of the other handlers and tells him to suit up for an attack demo. The handler goes to the shed and dons the gear for it and heads out to the first marker. He stands and waits. 

Mark tells the dog to wait. Then he unclips the leash. The dog looks at him and waits for a signal. Mark makes the signal and gives the voice command and the dog’s heckles go up and he growls and charges. He has the handler on the ground in no time and immediately stops when mark says a word and the dog looks over at him. Mark gives him the signal to ‘come’ and the dog comes trotting back looking all proud of himself. He sits at Mark’s feet and waits for a treat, which Mark gives him. 

They go through some other demonstrations using Graham as the one being attacked by the handler in the padding. You suspected Graham had done this before with the handlers as he was looking like this was nothing new and that he was having fun. They showed you how the dog disarms people attacking you from behind, and from in front of you, how he can disarm a person with a gun before they can even react to fire it, and how he can help drag you to safety if you get hurt somehow. 

Mark also tells you the dog is trained to help pull people out of flashbacks or nightmares. And Graham helped him demonstrate that as well. You chuckle at the dog’s antics while it tries to ‘comfort’ Graham who is pretending to have a flashback.

When they are done with the demo, Phantom trots over and plops down by your feet as you talk with Mark, Graham and Richard. You look down and Phantom has his chin on your foot and is rubbing his head against your ankle. “Mark, I think I’ll take him since he seems to really like me and no one else seems to want him.” You say. You squat down and look at Phantom. “You want to come home with me, Phantom?” you ask.

He sits up, tilts his head and licks your face making you laugh. Graham looks over at Rich and nods. Mark calls Phantom over and motions for him to sit. If you want to adopt him, you’ll need to go through the training. It’ll take a couple of evenings to do. It’ll help him bond with you and help you get comfortable with his commands and moods. He tells you. 

You nod and look a little disappointed you can’t take him now, but you understand why you can’t. “Ok. But I’ll need a ride out here and back home.” You say. 

“One of us will make sure we can take ya out here, Sweetheart.” Graham tells you. “Don’t worry yer pretty little head about that.” He says. 

You nod. Mark takes off the service dog vest from Phantom and hands it to the other handler in the padding. Mark thanks the other handler and tells him he can go back to what he was doing. Then he leads you all back to the barn.

Everyone follows Mark and Phantom into the barn and over to Phantom’s kennel. You kneel down and pet the dog for a few minutes and tell him you will see him tomorrow. Graham and Richard snap a couple pictures of you with the dog unbeknownst to you.

“You’ll come home with me in a couple days, Phantom, then we’ll be buddies, Ok? Be good now!” you tell him and kiss the top of his head. He wags his tail and gives you a soft “Woof” Making everyone chuckle.

Mark puts Phantom back in his kennel and then you all head out to the doors. Richard chuckles when you both hear Phantom whining as he watches you leave.

“Awww!” you say quietly. “He is already missing me!” 

Graham chuckles and smirks at Richard when Scarlett smacks Aiden who is walking ahead of you three and she tells him to ‘pay up, I won the bet!’

You all follow Mark to his office where you fill out the paperwork. Mark makes a copy of your restraining order to put in your file. He explains about the Service dog information and gives you a number to report any business who does not comply with the federal regulations, which you promptly enter as a favourite contact in your phone.

Graham pays for the dog and Rich pays for your training. You schedule a time for tomorrow for you to come back out after you are done with work to start the training process. 

You are grinning from ear to ear when you head back to Richard’s car. “How did I know you’d pick a black dog?” Scarlett says to you as she wraps her arm around your waist as the two of you walk in sync in front of the guys. 

You laugh, “I think HE more or less picked ME, Scar!” you told her giggling. “I wasn’t exactly looking for a black dog, though it might end up being a good thing he is black colored since we are often out at night and he will be harder to see.” You muse. 

“And his fur will blend in better on my clothes and won’t stick out like a sore thumb too!” you laugh and squeal with glee. Making Richard laugh. 

“Leave it to you to find a dog who matches your wardrobe!” he teases.

You turn back to look at him and stick out your tongue and wrinkle your nose. Just making him laugh again. 

Graham and Aiden just shake their heads. You get back to the cars and Graham looks at his watch, “Well, what do we want to do for supper?” he asks. You all decide to head back to The Squawking Raven and invite Martin and Amanda. 

Graham helps you into Richard’s car and then climbs in the back seat. Richard gets in the driver’s seat. “Thanks for getting the dog for me and paying for the training.” You tell them both. 

“We’ll sleep better at night, Lass, knowing he’ll protect ya.” Graham tells you. “It’s the least we can do to try to keep ya safe.” He says. 

“Well, thank you for it.” You tell them both and give each of them a kiss on the cheek making them both grin.

Richard drives to The Squawking Raven’s and everyone climbs out of the two vehicles. 

Martin and Amanda are waiting by the door and greet everyone. You and Amanda and Scarlett all start visiting and telling Amanda about the dog you’re getting as a guard dog. “That’s wonderful! She says, “How’s the apartment hunt going?” she asks you. You tell her you got a small one bedroom and the officers who helped you move are going to bring your stuff on Wednesday and help you move in. 

“Oh! That’s wonderful! We’ll have to have a little party once you’re all moved in!” she tells you. 

You giggle, “Well as long as we don’t get too loud, my landlords worked for the police department and live directly across the hall from me!” you say with a grin. She chuckles. And shrugs. 

You all greet Joe and he lets you all in, then you head to the coat check and then the bar and greet Lacey. He grins and waves as you all go up to what is called ‘the deck’ where you saw them all the other night. 

“How come you all hang out up here?” you ask. 

Martin replies, “It discourages people from harassing us wanting autographs and photos.” 

You look at Richard and shrug. He asks if you want anything to eat and you nod. He grabs a menu and tells you to order whatever you like. You grin and glance at the options. You end up ordering a cheese burger and fries and a Jameson, which Graham gives you shit for. 

You chuckle and tell him he can get your next one then. He nods. “All righty.” He says, “But you gotta drink it up here.” He tells you. 

“Ok.” You say with a shrug. 

You and Scarlett talk Amanda into going down and dancing on the floor for a bit while everyone waits for the food. The guys stand along the railing, watching you three having a ball. Amanda comes up after a little while and is laughing. “Those two are a hoot! I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time!” She tells them as she joins Martin along the railing. 

Richard and Graham chuckle. ‘Pretty Woman starts to play, and you look up at Richard with a smirk. He raises an eyebrow and looks at Graham. They both laugh when you and Scarlett start to dance to it acting it out. The crowd makes room for the two of you and you are just having a ball. Aiden is giggling and tells Rich, “The next time they play this, you and I should go down there and do that with our girls!” 

Richard is shaking his head, No, and Graham smacks him on the back! “Oh, come on, Rich! Loosen up and have a little fun!” he tells him. “$50 says you can’t get her blushing a beet red color by the end of the dance!” 

Richard looks at him with a raised eyebrow. Martin looks over, “What was that, Graham?” he asked. 

Graham repeated the bet and Martin upped the anty. $100 says he will have her blushing by the end of the song! $200 if both Aiden and Rich get both the girls to blush red by the end of the song.” He amends.

Amanda giggles and says something to Martin. “I’ll even join ya in it and so will Amanda!” Richard rolls his eyes, “FINE. ONE time!” he says. Amanda squeals and runs down to tell the DJ to play it again in a half hour and then she drags you and Scarlett off to the side telling you the guys have a bet to get you and Scarlett blushing by the end of the song.

“What if we turn the tables and make them blush by the end of the song!” Scarlett says. Amanda gets a wicked smirk and an idea. She tells you what she thinks the three of you should do during the song with them to get all three guys to blush. You smirk and can’t wait to do this. “The DJ will play it again in a half hour and will give me a one song signal for us to get the guys down on the dance floor in time.” Amanda tells you two.

After you figure out what you’re all gonna do for the dance, the three of you head up to the deck just as the food and drinks arrive. 

You three gals smirk the whole time you’re up there eating and drinking. 

“Martin grabs Graham, Aiden and Richard. “Ok, gents, I know that look on Amanda and she has something mischievous planned. I’m guessing it has something to do with the song. So, what’s the plan?” They look at him and shrug. “That’s up to you three to figure out!” Graham chuckles. “My guess is they are gonna try to make you guys blush red instead of you making them!” he says. 

About a half hour later, the DJ gives Amanda a one song nod, letting her know the next song is the one she requested. She drags Martin out on to the dance floor. Scarlett grabs Aiden and you grab Rich. Graham is giggling and stays up in the loft to watch he pulls out his phone, ready to record this. 

The six of you start to dance and have fun, then the song comes on. Everyone in the crowd starts clapping to the beat and move out of the way when they see the three of you separate and go to opposite ends of the dance floor. 

The three guys start to act and sing the song to the three of you ladies, who act out the ‘Pretty woman’s part walking past the men three times throughout the song, circling back each time to your side of the dance floor. 

The three of you ladies had decided to use your best catwalk and really lay on the seduction to get your men to blush. Earning plenty of cat calls and wolf whistles, and wide eyes from your men.

You smirk as the three of you untie your men’s ties, surprising them and slide the ties off their necks then walk away with them twirling the ties in your hands. Earning hoots and cat calls from the crowd. You can see Aiden’s really enjoying it, Martin and Richard are enjoying it too, but you see them starting to blush. You grin wickedly. 

Then on the next pass, you three strut up to the guys and unbutton their top three buttons of their shirts and start to dirty dance with them, making all three of them blush and look at each other wondering if this was such a good idea now, but they keep the act up.

You three ladies circle around back to the far end of the floor then strut up to the three men and dance with them for a few lines, letting them caress your bodies however they wanted, and you ladies kiss their cheeks, then start to move away when the lyrics “don’t walk on by!” are said. 

Finally the three of you start to walk back to your men when the lyrics are said, “but wait, what do I see?” and the three of you use the ties to snag your guys and end it in a kiss then drag them back to the spiral stairs as the music ends. 

The crowd goes wild with hoots and cat calls and you three women are just smiling smugly at your men as you climb up the stairs, them following close behind each of you. 

Graham is roaring with laughter and looks at his three friends who are sitting red faced and dazed at the table by the wall, as they suck down their drinks trying to cool down their hot faces and aching groins. 

He comes over to you ladies standing nearby the railing, gloating and he pats your back.

“That… was… awesome!” 

He turns to the guys, ok, Martin, Aiden, come on, pay up!!! Those Lasses got all three of you guys red faced, hot and bothered!” he says with glee. They grudgingly pay Graham the betted cash.

He winks at you and you just proudly grin and strut over to Richard and put his neatly rolled up tie in his pocket of his jacket. You caress his face wiping away the sweat, button up his shirt, then you give him a peck on the cheek and whisper with a smirk, “Still think that is your song for me now?”

He grins at you and you see his sapphire eyes are almost completely dilated and that you turned him on. He playfully grabs you around the waist, yanking you over to him, and growls in your ear, “Even more so now, sweetheart. I’ll get you back for this though, one of these days!” he promises and gives you an earth-shattering kiss that leaves your knees shaky. When he releases you from the kiss you hear a familiar cat call/ wolf whistle next to you. 

You look around and realize it’s Aiden who’s been doing it each time you heard it! With Graham standing next to him, laughing his head off. 

“Nice one Rich! Harley, now you’re the one blushing!” Graham roars laughing. You look back at Rich and he is grinning mischievously. You smile adoringly at him and whisper in his ear, “It’s nice to see you let loose and have some fun!” as you nibble on his earlobe, making him groan quietly in yours. “You are a little temptress tonight! Teasing me like this! You better be careful, Sweetheart. My self-control only goes so far!” He warns you. 

You look at him to see if he is upset or not, but you just see love, desire, appreciation and playfulness in his eyes and face. 

You grin and settle down in his arms on one of the couches and let him hold you close for a while as you hum along with the songs. Suddenly Graham appears with a couple of drinks in his hands. 

“Here, Lass, ya earned this one!” he tells you as he hands you golden liquid with ice in it. You look up at him with a raised eyebrow and give it a sniff. He laughs and heads over to Scarlett and hands her one too. Amanda already had hers and was sipping it as they stood along the railing.

Richard chuckles and grabs his drink. “Here’s to Roy Orbison and his ‘Pretty Woman’!” he whispers in your ear, making you grin and the two of you clink your glasses together and take a drink. 

Graham, Aiden and Martin eye you from the railing when you take a drink of the strongest whiskey the bar had that Graham gave you. They were expecting you to cough or react to how strong it was and were shocked when you took a swig of it, swallowed and didn’t even make a face! They looked at each other in disbelief. Then they hear Scarlett coughing and cursing at Graham at how strong the drink is. He just laughed and told her to toss some more ice in it to water it down.

“Pansy!” you say when you hear their banter. Richard looks at you and then takes a sniff of your drink. He takes it and takes a sip when he sees the guys’ backs to them and coughs a bit when it burns going down his throat. You look at him and grin. 

“How can you drink that and NOT cough!?!” he asks you quietly in disbelief as he tries to clear his throat of the burning liquid.

You laugh, “Oh… didn’t I mention I have a HIGH pain tolerance?” you ask. He shakes his head, no, and raises an eyebrow. 

You just giggle and nod. “It burns going down, but not enough to make me really react to it.” You say as you take another swig of it not letting on that it burns going down when Graham glances over at you. You raise your glass to him, and he grins. You giggle and tell Richard, “I much prefer my Jameson though.” 

“Shall we dance some more?” you ask him, earning a glare from him.  
“Fine, you stay here and relax, I’m gonna go dance with Scarlett. Come join me when you’re ready for fun that doesn’t involve embarrassing either of us.” you say and peck him on the cheek. 

He watches with the guys along the railing for a while as you and Scarlett and Amanda head down to the dance floor and have a ball. After dancing for a while and the three of you get annoyed that your men aren’t dancing with you. You grab the other two woman and Richard sees you whisper something to Amanda and Scarlett, and they look up to the deck and nod. He nudges Aiden and Graham.

The guys see you run over to the DJ and ask him something and he looks up to the deck and grins and nods. He tells you the next 3 songs are all yours. You giggle and run back to Scarlett and Amanda and you quickly talk about what you want to do while you dance in a close group. You three agree to focus the attention on the guys up on the deck and try to guilt them to come dance with you since they haven’t hardly danced all night with you. . 

“Uh oh!” Aiden says when he sees the three of you dancing closely and giggling. “I think they are planning a round two guys!”

Suddenly you hear the music for Abba’s ‘Take A Chance on Me’ play. The guys up on the deck all start chuckling, and you three ladies start singing at the top of your lungs and direct your affections up to your men standing up on the railing. Of course, everyone is looking between the guys on the deck’s railing and you three ladies. You three have fun singing and dancing as if it was just your men in the room. They are all giggling and laughing at the three of your antics. You can see the appreciation in their eyes and smiles. 

Once ‘Take A Chance on Me’ ends the DJ blends it into ‘Dancing Queen’ and each of you take turns being the dancing queen and point up to your guys whenever guys are mentioned. They stand there laughing, cat calling and whistling at you three, enjoying the little show the three of you are putting on and don’t show any sign of joining you on the floor. 

The DJ fades from the ending of Dancing Queen to ‘Gimmie! Gimmie! Gimmie! (A Man After Midnight)’ and you grin especially after the first verse and the guys hear the line ‘there’s not a soul out there, no one to hear my prayers…” They are all giggling and finally Aiden nudges Martin and Rich and they head down and finally join you three dancing when the second verse starts with “Movie stars…” to help you three ‘chase the shadows away’, earning hoots and hollers from the crowds. 

You’re having a ball singing and dancing along to the song and Richard’s eyes are twinkling and he is laughing and enjoying seeing you so lively and mischievous tonight. His hands glued to your body one way or another and you keep dancing and singing to Rich. 

He thoroughly is enjoying your attention on him, you acting as if he were the only guy in the room. The two of you dance close and he twirls you around as you dance occasionally picking you up and twirling you around as he holds you tight against him and then sets you down, chuckling when you start bouncing to the music immediately. You three ladies are hot and sweaty as the triple Abbba songs end. You finally stop bouncing around and Richard traps you in his arms and practically carries you slug over his shoulder up the stairs to the balcony. Aiden and Martin following suit with their ladies and everyone is applauding, hooting and hollering and laughing. 

Rich plops you on the sofa and hands you a bottle of water. “Here, Love, drink some water for a bit.” He says chuckling as he looks at your sweaty face with little wisps of hair sticking to it. You smile and thank him as he sits down next to you and pulls your hair off your face. You sip on the bottle of water and hold it to your face trying to cool down. 

“That was fun!” you giggle tiredly. You look around frowning. “Where’s my drink with the ice in it?” you ask.  
  
Richard chuckles. “Drink your water first, Love, then I’ll get you one with some ice.” He tells you. You drink your water and rest; as you lean against his shoulder. But when another of your favourite songs comes on that you want to dance to, you try to get up and he has to grab you and pull you into his lap to keep you from running down onto the dance floor again. 

“Love, you’re gonna dance yourself till you collapse if you keep this up.” He whispers to you as he laughs and holds you firmly in his lap. You squirm trying to get loose. Making him hold you tighter.

You stop and grin feeling him getting hard under your lap, “But I like this song!” you exclaim as you dance, sitting on his lap. Graham, Martin and Aiden laughing at your enthusiasm and energy. 

“I’m starting to think your favourite songs all are fast paced ones that wear you out, leaving you all hot and sweaty.” Richard chuckles into your ear. 

You lean back into his chest and whisper as your foot bounces to the beat of the song, “I like the ones you had on the playlist you made for me this afternoon!” you purr into his ear as you lean back and run your hand into his hair. “We can dance to those anytime you want!” you promise him. He grins. “I may hold you to that later on tomorrow my Love.” He tells you, cupping your face with his hand, glad you’re finally calming down. 

“We should get you home though, soon. It’s getting late, and some of us have to work in the morning.” He reminds you. You yawn and nod. “Yeah, I guess. We can leave whenever you want, Rich.” You tell him.

He grins, “Finish your water, Love. I’ll go see if Graham needs a ride home.” He says as he lifts you up and sets you back on the sofa. “Stay here!” he tells you with a raised eyebrow and goes to talk with Graham, keeping an eye on you in case you try to bolt for the dance floor. He looks over at you and grins. Graham nods and the two of them come walking back over to you. “You gettin’ tuckered out there, Harley?” Graham teases. 

You grin. “Kind of. I’d love to stay, but I have to be at work for 7am tomorrow, which reminds me, I’m gonna need a ride. Aiden! You got anything going on tomorrow morning?” you holler over. He grins and replies, “Yeah, sleeping!” which makes everyone laugh.” 

You growl, “Ugh! Thus,” you motion over to Aiden, “why I need my own place! Such unreliable transportation at his place!” You tell them and they all laugh hard. “This living across town from my job is for the birds. It’s fine if you drive, but I HATE having to bum rides everywhere!” you grumble. “I never know if my friends are gonna hijack my ride and not take me home.” You give them the stink eye, teasingly.

Richard and Graham just chuckle. “I can pick you up, Lass, on my way into the studios. That way Rich doesn’t have to come clear across town twice to get you and Aiden will be too hung over in the morning to drive anyway.” Graham tells you. 

You look up at Richard and he grins and nods. “Ok.” You reply and yawn again earning a chuckle from the two.

Richard helps you up and you grab your bag. “See you later, Scarlet. I’m heading home. Have to work tomorrow.” You tell her. 

She nods and you wave bye to Aiden and Martin and Amanda. “See you all later too. Thanks for the fun evening!” you tell them. 

They wish you good night too. And you are ushered out to the car after stopping to say bye to Lacey and grab your coat from the coat check. Graham helps you get in the car and then gets in back again, and Richard gets in front. 

He drives the three of you to Graham’s place which is a cozy place just outside of town. He tells you good night and he’ll pick you up at 6:30am at Aiden’s. You groan and nod making him chuckle. “Aw, Rich, it looks like your little Raven is a night owl instead of a member of the Dawn Chorus! He teases.” 

Rich chuckles and nods. “Have a good night, Graham! See you tomorrow morning!” he tells his friend. 

“Night Rich, Night Harley.” Graham says and closes the door. 

Richard waits to make sure Graham got in ok, then heads for Aiden’s apartment building. He parks outside it and chuckles to see you dozing. He wakes you up and you look at him with bleary eyes. 

“Come on, Sweetheart, let’s get you to bed.” He tells you, then climbs out of the car and comes around and helps you out. He walks you to the door and you hand him the keys to get in. The two of you ride the elevator up to Aiden’s place and Rich walks you to the door. He unlocks it and then helps you inside. Rich helps you out of your coat and drapes it over a chair at the kitchen breakfast island.

He takes you to your room, stands you up and loosens the lacing on your corset, then helps you out of it. He asks you where your phone is, and you mumble it’s in your coat pocket. He goes to the kitchen and grabs it out of your coat, then comes back and asks you what time you want the alarm set for.

You tell him 5:30am. He sets one for that time and one for 6am, in case you hit snooze. He plugs in your phone to charge by your bed, then helps you out of your boots. You just crawl into bed and he grins and sits on the edge. You sit up and give him a hug. “Thanks for toting me around today Rich and thanks for the fun evening. Sorry if I got too rambunctious and embarrassed you. It’s why my parents named me Harley. I run till I crash.” You say with a giggle. 

Richard grins at you. “I love you, sweetheart. I had fun too. Now get some rest and I’ll see you tomorrow. Ok?” he tells you. 

You nod and he gives you a hug and kiss. “I’ll lock the door when I leave.” He tells you. “Your keys and purse are on the kitchen counter.” He reminds you. You nod. ‘Night Rich.” You say and flop back onto your pillow. 

He chuckles and pulls the blankets over you and kisses your face again. “Night Love.” He says and heads out. 

He locks the doorknob to the apartment door and heads out and back down to his car. Heading home he grins thinking about all your goofy antics tonight. He chuckled and when he got home, he looked at his phone to see you sent him a text. All it said was “XoXoXo Goodnight Sweet cheeks! 😉”

He chuckled and headed to bed.


	10. Chapter 10

All too soon your alarm is going off and you moan and shut it off. You roll over and then stretch and get up. You yawn as you grab your phone, unplug it and head into the bathroom. You look down at your phone and see someone texted you.

You open the text to see: “Morning! Thought you might like to have these” then there was a series of pictures. You with Phantom, you with Amanda and Scarlett dancing as if it was taken from the deck, and one of you, Scarlett, Amanda, Aiden, Rich, and Martin dancing to Pretty woman and another of you six dancing to the Abba songs from last night. You don’t recognize the number and text back, “Thanks for the pictures of the fun afternoon and evening I had, but Who is this?”

A couple moments later you get a reply, “Who else, Lass? Lol.” 

You grin and text back, “Graham?”   
and a moment later you get, “😉 see you in a little while, Sweetheart.”

You giggle. He reminds you a lot of your dad. “You wonder if he misses his family. You feel bad he is always the odd duck in your group. Everyone is paired off except him.” You wonder what he thinks about when he sees all of you dancing happily. Does he dance with his woman when he sees her? You wonder what she is like, and what his family is like.

You get ready for work and re-braid your hair in a pair of French braids. You laugh when your 6am alarm goes off in the middle of the last braid, causing you to roll your eyes and let it make noise till your hands were freed from your hair.

You dig through your closet and put on a black t-shirt, your leather corset with the metal hooks and your tight black leather pants. You don your leather jacket and look at your jewelry. You put on a black choker with a sapphire stone on the front, then your set of sapphire studs your Dad gave you for your last birthday he celebrated with you before he had the heart attack.

You sigh and say, “I miss you Dad.” You head into the bathroom and put on your smokey eye makeup and dab on your ylang-ylang perfume oil. You grab your high heel boots and put them on then grab your phone and head out into the living area. You spot your messenger bag on the counter where Richard left it along with your keys. 

You see a note from Aiden and Scarlett thanking you for letting them tag along yesterday and thanking you for the fun they had last night. 

Aiden scribbled at the bottom of the note. “Haven’t seen Richard so goofy in a loooonnnnggg time! You’re amazing! Thanks for getting him to cut loose and have some fun for a change! =)”

You chuckle and tuck the note into your messenger bag. Digging in the fridge, you find something for breakfast and sit down by Richard’s flowers he gave you and you smile. You pull out your phone, take a selfie of you with the flowers from him and type, “Thinking of you, Sweet Cheeks! 😉 Have a good day at work, Love!”

He replies back, “Mornin’ Sunshine 😊! Same to you. Can’t wait to see you after work! Love you! Xoxo! -Rich”

You smile and look around the apartment. You wonder what the day holds for you today.

When you finish eating, you go and brush your teeth and apply some lip gloss, then head back to the kitchen. You notice a text and open it. 

It’s from Graham. “Be there in a few minutes if you want to head down. I’ll meet you by the doors.” 

You reply, “Ok, Pops, be there in a jiffy. 😉

You grab your stuff and head out, locking the door and skipping to the elevator. You wait for it and then ride it down to the ground floor. When you exit it, you see Graham waiting by the doors for you in leather chaps and Kevlar jacket. He grins and comes walking over. 

“Morning, Sweetheart! You look spunky today! Ready to ride?’ he grins. You nod and he follows you outside. You look around confused. “Graham? Where’s the car?” you ask.   
He grins and says, “No car today, Lass…” he points at the Harley Motorcycle and you let out a squeal. “Oh my GOSH!!! I’ve never ridden on a motorcycle before!” 

Graham chuckles and picks you up and sets you on the back seat. He shows you where to put your feet and hands you a helmet. “Here, put it on. It has a microphone and earpiece in it so we can hear each other talking.” He tells you.

You nod and put it on. He puts his on and gets on the bike. “Hang on to my waist tightly, Lass. You definitely do not want to fall off!” he tells you as he tilts the bike upright. You hug his waist tightly, making him chuckle again. 

Graham starts up the bike and you jump. “Wow, they are loud!” you say grinning. He just nods and chuckles. “Ready?” he asks you. 

“Yup,” you reply. 

He puts it in gear and the two of you take off. You squeeze his waist as the bike lurches forward and you let out a squeak of surprise making Graham laugh.

“Oh my gosh! This is SO FUN!” you tell him after a little bit.

“I figured you’d like it. Your name suits you, Lass.” He says with a chuckle. “I had fun watching you all dancing last night. You are the first one to get Amanda out on the dance floor for more than one song since Martin met her!” he tells you. “She raved about you all the rest of the night, Martin told me when I got home.”

You laugh. “Well I had fun with her and Scarlet too! Graham, how come you don’t join us when we go dancing? You always are just standin by the railing, watching.” You ask.

He chuckles. “My dance partner is back home.” He replies. “I don’t need some asshole taking pictures of me dancing with a friend and twisting it into some kind of scandal to ruin my marriage and family.” He tells you. “My wife knows I love her to the moon and back, so do my kids and that I would never want to risk that. I told her about you and she says, “Welcome to the family. She said to tell you that you will always be welcome at our homes whether it’s in New Zealand, America or wherever I’m filming.” He tells you. 

“Thanks, Graham… Do you miss them?” you ask. 

He sighs and nods, “Aye, Lass, I miss ‘em. But they understand why I travel as much as I do. I try to keep a decent length of time between trips away so I can see my girls grow up. You remind me of my girls.” He tells you. 

You give him a squeeze. “You remind me of my Dad. I miss him a lot. He died of a heart attack a few years ago and mom went shortly after.” You tell him. He reaches down and pats your hand and then puts his hand back on the handlebar. 

“If ya want a substitute, I’m here for ya, Lass.” He tells you.   
“Thanks Pops!” you say cheekily, earning a chuckle from him. 

“Want me to drop you off at the studio or at your job.?” He asks when you realize you’re a few blocks from the studio. 

“The studio please, I want to walk a little too.” You tell him. He nods and slows down. Pulling up along side the entrance to the studio, you get off the bike not seeing Richard standing by the gate grinning at how sexy you look on the back of a motorcycle. 

You hand Graham the helmet. “Thanks for the fun ride, Pops.” You tell him with a smirk.

He grins, “Any time, Lass. See you later.” He tells you. You nod and he watches as you head to the corner, then cross the street. Your steps are in time to ‘Pretty Woman’ which suddenly pops into your head and you grin and happily walk to work, your braids swaying to the music in your head. 

Graham chuckles and looks up to see Richard grinning and leaning against the entrance, watching you walk down the street. 

Graham walks the bike up into the parking area, Richard following. “Nice bike!” he tells Graham, who chuckles. 

“A friend owns it and lets me ride it whenever I want. Thought I’d pick her up on it and show her what a Harley Motorcycle is made of and why her folks named her after it.” He says grinning.

Richard raises an eyebrow. “Aww, don’t get all jealous, Rich. She thinks of me as her substitute dad!” he teases and gives Richard a friendly punch to the arm. “Come on. Let’s get going. The sooner we get recording, the sooner we can get outta here!” 

\-------------------------------------------

You happily strut down the sidewalk humming the song stuck in your head and arrive at the shop at 6:55am. You lean against the retaining wall by the front door, and look at the pictures Graham sent you. 

You glance up when you see movement out of the corner of your eyes. It’s a sketchy looking person walking on the other side of the street. One that normally wouldn’t be up at this time of the morning. You frown and watch him walk down the street till he is out of your sight. You look back down to your phone and then hear a ‘click’ and look up to see Todd grinning at you. 

“Morning Sweetheart! How was your weekend?” he asks as he holds the door open for you and lets you in. 

“Morning Todd, it was a great weekend! Look! I got to pick out my guard dog!” you tell him. “His name is Phantom!” you say as you hold out your phone and show him the pictures Graham sent of you and the dog. 

Todd chuckles. “He looks like a ball of black fluff! What kind of dog is he?” Todd asks. 

“Um… Belgian Something. I can’t remember the names. He was a mix of two different Belgian breeds.” You tell him.

He chuckles. “Well he sure looks like he suits you.” he tells you. “So, when do you get him?” he asks. 

“I have to go to training tonight after work and tomorrow after work to do the training and learn all his hand signals.” You explain. “So… I think either tomorrow night or sometime Wednesday.” You say. 

He nods. “Well, he is welcome to be here with you. We’ll just have to find a spot for him to hang out in here, so he isn’t under foot.” He tells you. 

You look around, wondering where Phantom will want to lie down. “What if we moved that chair by your desk and set a dog bed next to the desk? That way he can see what is going on in the kitchen without being in it and can see what is going on behind the counter without being underfoot. Plus, he will be near if anyone tries to hurt me or rob us.” you suggest. 

Todd looks for a minute and chuckles. “You’re a smart little thing aren’t you! That’s a great idea! I will even give him a little salary for being the shop’s ‘guard dog’ when we’re open… how about that. Then he can be an employee too!” he chuckles. 

“Really?” you ask.

Todd nods. “Sure, why not! I’ll get him a dog bed, and bowls and a few toys that he can play with if he wants when it’s slow, and some treats. That we’ll keep here for him.” He tells you. 

You grin. “Thanks Todd!” you say. 

The morning goes by fast for you and you’re busy making drinks today for customers. Your back is to the door as you make some cappuccinos for guests when you hear the familiar wolf whistle and giggling.

You turn and see Aiden, Graham, Scarlett and Richard all grinning and smiling at you. “Hi!” You say to them happily. “How’s work going?” you ask as you hand a customer their drinks and turn back to them. 

They order their drinks from Todd and then come round and wait on the side of the counter for you to make the drinks. They tell you how work is going, and they ask how it’s going for you. “It’s been unusually busy this morning!” you tell them. 

Graham chuckles, “That’s probably cuz word got out around the studio that there’s a hot chick working here, and they started filming a couple new movies on set.” He tells you. 

“Ahhhh, well, I don’t know about the hot chick working here… but soon we’ll have a new employee. He starts on Thursday or Friday. We aren’t sure yet.” You smirk and Todd chuckles.

“Oh really? Can’t wait to meet him!” Graham says. “This is my favourite place to disappear into when it gets too hectic at the Studio.” He grins. 

Richard laughs, “Well now I’ll know where to send the scouts when they are looking for you!” he teases. 

“You mean the wargs?” Graham says giggling. “Don’t you dare send them here!”

Richard just laughs and shakes his head in amusement. “They’re about as relentless as PJ said the wargs were!” he replies.

You just laugh. “You guys have a good afternoon. I’ll see you after work so we can go train with Phantom.” You tell them as they head for the door. “Bye Love, see you later.” Rich says as he blows you a kiss and you blow him one back and wave.

The afternoon passes and you notice the same person throughout the afternoon walking back and forth on the other side of the street, that you saw in the morning. You frown.

“Todd, who is that person over there on the other side of the street? Do you recognize him?” you ask. He looks out and sees the person walk past on the other side of the street. The person is looking at the shops on your side of the street. 

“No, Honey, I don’t recognize him, why?” he asks as he looks over at you as you wipe down the tables in the front of the store.

You suddenly get a bad feeling about the person. “Todd, he has been pacing back and forth outside since this morning. I passed him on my way to work!” you tell him. He walks by about once every half hour.” You tell him. 

He frowns. “He’s casing the area lookin’ for something… or someone…” he says. “I’m gonna call Alex and have him come talk to the guy and find out what he is doing here.” He tells you and grabs the phone. 

A few minutes later, Alex comes in and talks with the two of you. You tell him what you’ve been seeing and give Alex a description of the guy. You tell Alex he comes by about once every half hour and has been doing so since at least 6:30am. You tell him the guy is creeping you out and making you uncomfortable.

Alex tells you he’ll have a plain clothes officer sit and wait for him and go talk to the guy to see who he is and what he is doing. You thank him and he heads out. 

An hour later the plain clothes officer comes in and says they talked to the guy. “He is the one who bailed out your ex. One of their friends said he saw you at a local bar last night dancing with a guy and told your ex. He said your ex was livid and he was sent to find out where you were and deliver a message. ‘Get away from that guy you danced with at the bar, or you’ll be sorry.’ He apparently still thinks you’re his.” The officer tells you. We arrested this guy for harassment and he’ll probably be out on bail by tonight. He tells you. 

You look at him with wide, glassy eyes and head back to the kitchen. Todd thanks the officer and the officer tells him that Alex assigned more officers to patrol the area today to make sure your ex and his men leave you alone for the day.

Todd goes back and tries to calm you down. “You’re safe in here Harley. I won’t let them harm you if I can help it. I still pack heat on me at all times, and have one under the counter in a holster as well.” He tells you. “From now on, though, I think you should have one of your male friends escort you to and from work until you get Phantom.” He tells you. 

You’re trembling and ask, “What about Richard? My ex threatened to hurt him if I don’t stay away from him! This was why I was reluctant to get involved with anyone!” you cry. 

“Let him know, Sweetheart, and let him decide how he wants to handle it. If he wants added security, he can jolly well afford it. Ok?” Let me make you something to drink and have something to eat.” He tells you. 

You take your break and text Graham.

“Graham, I don’t know what to do! The guy that bailed out my ex has been spotted pacing back and forth in front of my job all day. He saw me coming to work and every half hour has walked past the shop since then!

Todd called the cops and they came and talked to the guy. He told them my ex sent him to deliver a message. to ‘Stay away from the guy you were dancing with last night, or you’ll be sorry!’

He told the officer, that was the message, and that it was for me. Someone they knew saw me dancing last night with Richard and told my ex, who apparently got irate. What are we going to do?!? I’m scared!”

He replied right away. “I showed Rich your message. He’s pissed, but don’t worry about him, he can take care of himself. YOU be safe. We’ll talk about it after work. What does the guy look like so we can let the gate guard know at the studio?”

You send Graham a description of the man you’ve been seeing all day and also the pic of your ex from Christmas and tell him who the picture is of. 

Graham replies that they will come pick you up in front of the shop after work. “Sorry, Sweetheart, no more walkin’ to work by yerself till you have Phantom with you. What time are ya done today?” He texts you. 

You ask Todd what time you’re done today and he tells you that you can head out at 4pm or whenever your friends are done.

You message Graham back, “I’m done at 4 but can stay and work till you guys are done.” 

He messages back, “We’re done at 5:30. Stay there until we come get you!” he texts back. 

“Ok, Pops!” you message back, “Thank you!”

“No problem, Kiddo. See you then! Be safe! <3” you receive back.

“Todd, they are done at 5:30 and will come get me after that.” You tell him. 

“Ok, Sweetheart. No problem.” Why don’t you take tomorrow off and finish up your training with Phantom and spend the day letting him get used to you and your friends? Maybe you being gone from here for a couple of days will deter your ex’s spies from hanging around.” He tells you. 

You look down at the floor. “Ok. I’m so sorry it’s been such drama since you hired me. I don’t like this any more than you do.” You apologize. 

He comes over and tilts your chin up to look at him. “Sweetheart, you didn’t ask for any of this. I understand that and am not upset with you. I just know how these guys think and operate. Take a few days and just disappear for a while. Stay with someone who makes you feel safe, don’t go out in public if you can help it and just lay low. Let your trail go cold and it’ll make it tougher for them to find you. 

You keep seeing that Richard, though, don’t let him slip away! He seems like a great guy for you. I can tell by the way he looks at you that he absolutely adores you.” Todd says with a grin.

You nod. “He does. He treats me like a precious treasure.” You say quietly. 

“And that you are, Harley. Not just to him, but to me, to Alex and to all your friends! You are not alone in this fight, Sweetheart. We’re here and we got your back. Just keep me or Alex informed about your whereabouts so if we spot him or any of his lackeys, we can let you know.” he tells you. 

“Ok, Todd. Thanks.” You tell him. 

“Now how about you take the tub and a dishcloth and go see if you can find where our guests have hidden the dishes in the bookstore?” he tells you, making you chuckle. You nod and head back to the sink, then head into the bookstore.

The rest of the day at work goes by uneventfully and before you know it, Richard and Graham are pulling up in Richard’s BMW. You’re sitting at the table and see them pull up. You holler to Todd that you’re heading out and that Richard and Graham are here to get you. 

He hollers back, “Ok, Harley, see you on Thursday with Phantom! If anything changes or if you have any other problems let me or Alex know!” he tells you and you tell him, you will. 

You grab your coffee and adjust your messenger bag and head out to the car. “No motorcycle?” you ask. 

Graham chuckles. “We’ll do that when we head home, Sweetie.” He says and pats you on the shoulder. “How ya holdin’ up?” he asks. 

You sigh. “I’m scared. I didn’t want to put other people in danger and that was why I was so hesitant to get involved with anyone. I knew he’d pull something like this.” You tell them. “He is incredibly possessive and despite him dumping me at Christmas, he apparently thinks he can just have me back as a fuck toy now.” you say and drop your head as a few tears run down your cheeks.

Graham looks up at Richard and sees his jaw set and his knuckes white on the wheel. “Well, that ain’t gonna happen, Lass. He’ll have to tangle with all of us and yer dog before he’ll be layin’ a hand on you!” Graham assures you. “You’ll never, be his ever again.” He tells you and gives your shoulder a squeeze. 

“But what about you Rich?” you say scared.

“Don’t worry about me, Sweetheart, between all the fight training, sword training and such for the different movies I’ve been in, I think I can handle protecting myself pretty darn well. He or his buddies try anything, your officer friends will be receiving a call and a beaten up person to arrest. Our gate guards have the photo of your ex, and a description of his accomplice so they won’t be allowed anywhere near the property.

My home is secure and so is yours. So, don’t worry, Love. They have a lot of people to deal with should they try to hurt you.” He tells you and puts a hand on your thigh, giving it a squeeze.

You nod. “Thank you, both.” You say. “Todd suggested I take tomorrow and Wednesday off and just disappear for a while and lay low with people who make me feel safe, so my ex and his accomplices can’t track me. He said if they don’t see me showing up at work, they will leave and go look elsewhere for me. Tod said to keep him, or Alex informed where I decide to disappear to, and they will keep me posted if they see or hear anything.” You tell them. 

Richard grins. “Good!” you look at him confused. 

He chuckles, “I have tomorrow off from work, the scenes they are recording tomorrow don’t involve my character, so I don’t need to be there. We can go disappear for the day and find something fun to do.” He tells you. 

You grin. “Todd suggested seeing if I could complete the training tomorrow morning and then take the rest of the day to just spend time getting used to Phantom and having him get used to me and my friends.” You tell him. 

Richard smiles and nods. “That we can do.” He tells you as he pulls into the driveway of Mark’s place. Graham and Richard get out of the BMW and Graham helps you out. “Thanks, Pops.” You tease him, earning a smile and a quick hug from him. 

You three head up into the yard and Mark comes out and meets you. “Hi Harley, Richard, Graham! You ready to start the training?” he asks. 

You nod. “Mark, would I be able to come out here tomorrow morning to finish the training? My ex is sending his lackeys to stalk and harass me now and one showed up at my job this morning to give me a message from my ex, that was a threat. My boss gave me the day off so I could get the training done and get used to Phantom for a couple days before I go back to work with him.” You explain. 

He nods. “Of course! We can do that! Hopefully having Phantom around will deter them from doing that anymore.” He tells you. “Regardless, though Phantom will be able to sense that kind of intent and will alert you to it.” He tells you. “Come on, let’s get started.”

The four of you head to the barn and as soon as Phantom hears your voice, he is at the gate of his kennel whining quietly and wagging his tail like a propeller on a plane. Richard laughs at the sight. “He’s not excited to see you, not at all, Harley!” he tells you.

Graham nudges him and teases, “Rich, that’s how you look when you see her!” 

Richard rolls his eyes at Graham. “Do not.” He grumbles and folds his arms across his chest. Making graham laugh, “Do too!” and Richard rolls his eyes. 

You chuckle at their bantering back and forth. “do too” you think. 

Mark walks over and opens the gate for Phantom and the dog just wiggles and can’t wait to have your attention. He gives Phantom the sign to ‘sit’ and the dog sits, but his tail doesn’t stop wagging a mile a minute, which makes his butt wiggle. You laugh and squat down and smush his face and pet him and talk to him for a minute to assure him you were back for him. He is excitedly licking your face and hands and giving you soft ‘wuffs’ and whimpers back.

You are giggling at his reaction to seeing you and Mark chuckles. “He whined for a good hour after you left!” he tells you. “I think he thought you weren’t coming back!” he says with a grin then hands you the leash after hooking it to Phantom’s harness.

He teaches you the sign for ‘come’ and Phantom follows you right at your side. “He will always put himself between you and the street or you and whatever he may consider a potential threat.” Mark tells you. 

Then he teaches you the sign for ‘sit’. You make the sign and Phantom sits. Mark hands you a treat to give to the dog. “Don’t give him treats all the time, petting him and praising him work just as well.” 

One by one he teaches you the signs for the different commands. You all walk out into the field and he puts the practice service vest on Phantom and then has you go through the different commands in various orders to help you memorize them. Once you have them all down, and Richard does too by this point, then Mark has his assistant put on the padded armor again and he teaches you the different commands for attack.

Mark calls Richard and Graham over to learn these as well. “We teach the dogs the attack signals in both verbal and hand gestures. He will respond to either of them. We found a dictionary for Khuzdul from Middle Earth, (my favourite book series) online and chose to use that for the words since there are so few who know or understand their meaning. Forgive us if we got some of it wrong. He tells Richard and Graham with a smirk.

Mark taught you the words and hand symbols for each attack command and when Phantom heard the words, he did what they commanded. 

“HRESTVOG!” means DESTORY! (which we use instead of Attack.)  
“ETZIL!” means STOP!  
“THORV!” means SHIELD!  
“HEFTHYN!” means GUARD!

Phantom will shield you with his body by getting up on his hind legs if you were standing and he’d lean against you as he put himself between you and the attacker or danger. 

He’d stand over the top of you if you were on the ground (injured). 

If you told him to guard something, he would not let anyone but you near it unless they knew the word for STOP. 

When he’d hear the word for destroy, he’d attack whatever you indicated with no mercy until you or someone knowing the word for stop told him to. 

Over and over, Mark focused on this part of the training, explaining it was necessary for you, so you’d remember the proper words if you were in a panic or fight/flight response. You needed to be able to recall the commands if you were stressed, scared or upset. You nodded. 

Finally, it was getting close to supper time and Mark called it a day for you. “Come back tomorrow and we’ll work on this and some other commands for you.” He tells you. 

You thank him and he hands you a sheet with the words and pictures of how to do the hand symbols so you could practice. 

He takes off the service vest from Phantom and lets him run and play for a few minutes with you. Then you signal for him to ‘come’ and he follow you off lead all the way to the barn. You pet him and tell him he’s a good dog and he thumps his tail on the floor and gives you a soft “wuff” and licks your face. 

Mark signals him to ‘go’ and points to the kennel and Phantom looks at you sadly and heads for the kennel, whining. “Awww!” you say. “It’s ok, Phantom, I’ll be back for you tomorrow, ok?” you tell him. He wags his tail and licks your hand through the fencing. You stand and move over to Richard and Graham. They chuckle as Phantom looks at you with his sad puppy dog eyes and whines quietly. 

“Ready to go, Lass?” Graham asks.   
You nod. 

You thank Mark for the training and put the sheet he gave you in your bag. The three of you head to the car and Graham helps you in then gets in the back seat. Richard gets in the front and starts the car. He backs out and the three of you are off back into town. 

You’re quiet for a while and just trying to absorb all you learned. The two men grin when they see you practicing and mumbling the different commands trying to remember them with out pulling out the sheet to look. 

After about 10 minutes, Richard asks, “You hungry, Sweetheart?” 

You shrug. ‘Not really. I don’t eat much when I get stressed.” you reply. 

He puts his hand on your leg. “You need something in your stomach, Honey, or it’ll be growling at you all night.” He teases, trying to get a smile out of you. 

You sigh, “I know, Rich. I’m just nervous, with my ex and his cronies on the loose. I don’t know any self defense except to kick a guy in the shins and the nuts.” You tell them, making them both wince and giggle. 

“Well, that’s a start, Sweetheart.” Graham tells you. 

“Maybe I’ll do some research on self defense and see what’s available.” You mutter to yourself. 

“It wouldn’t hurt, Lass.” Graham encourages you. 

“In Israel, both men and women serve in their army.” Richard tells you, “They came up with a special self defense for the women to be trained in so that if they are attacked or targeted for rape, they could defend themselves and get away to safety. The methods they used are banned in the competitive self-defense courses and competitions because of the potential to kill the attacker.” I would suggest you learn that one, Sweetheart. If it’s good enough for a country’s women military personnel, then it’s what I’d like to see you learn.” Richard tells you. 

“What is it called?” you ask him. 

“If I remember right it is called, Krav Maga”. He tells you. 

You search for it on your phone’s internet and pull up a video demonstration of it. You and Graham watch it and a few others you found. He chuckles when he sees you watching one video of a girl like you being attacked by three big guys his size and the girl takes all three down in a matter of seconds!

“What do ya think of that, Harley?” he asks, grinning mischievously.

Your eyes light up and you grin impishly. “Ooohh! I’d love to be able to do that! I don’t know if I’d actually be able to, but I sure would like to try it!” you say with an impish smirk. 

Richard just grins. “I’d love to see you do that, Love. Just don’t use it on me!” he says with a chuckle. 

“The only way I’d be using it on you, Hun, is if you were winning in a tickle fight or I was practicing the techniques at half speed.” You tell him.

Graham just laughs when he sees the astonished look on Richard’s face.

You look at Richard from your phone and smirk. “You know I’m teasing, Hun. I’d never use it on you… unless you want me to…” you grin. 

He reaches over and ruffles your head, forgetting you had braids in so there wasn’t much to ruffle. Making you all laugh.

The three of you arrive back at the Studio. Graham gets out and leans down at you. “I got some steaks in the fridge thawing, so I think I’ll head home. You two go get some food and have a good evening….and behave yourselves!” he tells you both sternly and then winks at you.” 

You giggle and reply, “You got it, Pops!” he chuckles and pats your arm. “See you two love birds later.” He says and heads over to the gate and the guard lets him in.

A moment later you hear him start up the bike and you watch him head out. You look over at Richard and he is smiling at you. “Did you have fun riding on Graham’s friend’s bike?” he asked. 

You get a big grin on your face and nod. “Now I see why Mom and Dad named me after it!” you giggle. “Dad would’ve loved that bike. Graham reminds me a lot of Dad.” You say. “I miss my Dad, but I’m glad Graham’s around and I have you and the rest of the group.” You tell him. 

Just then your stomach growls. “I suppose I should feed it before it tries to eat me from the inside out again.” You giggle.

Richard smirks. And takes your hand and kisses it. “Let’s go back to my place and I’ll make you supper and we can cuddle on the couch and watch a movie.” He tells you. 

You nod and he starts to head home. “Oh! Can we stop somewhere so I can pick up a couple of things? Since I’m at the mercy of those driving me and I don’t always seem to make it home at night, I need to pick up a few things to keep in my bag.” You tease him. 

He grins and nods. Pulling into a pharmacy, he parks and helps you out of the car. The two of you head in and you look around. He tells you he’s gonna go look at some stuff and let you shop. “I’ll meet you at the cash register when you’re ready.” He says with a kiss. You nod and he walks off.

You look at the makeup and pick out a black eyeliner, waterproof mascara, a small bottle of eye makeup remover, a small pack of round cotton pads, and a small grey palette of eye shadow. 

Then you go to the travel section and find a collapsible hairbrush and a comb, a toothbrush and toothpaste. You find a travel pack of small containers in a heavy-duty plastic travel bag and toss it in the basket. 

You smile when you find your hair oil there and grab that too. You grab a pack of hairpins, and hair ties as well and a pretty hair claw clip. You find a travel size deodorant and toss it in the bag and try to remember if there was anything else on your list. 

You can’t think of anything, so you head over to the cashier. You wait in line and Richard joins you. He chuckles as he sees what’s in your basket. You move up to the cashier and set the basket on the counter. Rich hands you the keys to the car and says, “Let me get this, Sweetheart, how about you head out and get the car started for me?”

You shrug and take the keys. You head out and stand outside amazed by the beautiful sunset. Standing off to the side of the doors you happily lean against the warm concrete wall and enjoy the riot of colors. 

Richard pays for the stuff in your basket. Once it’s all paid for, he takes your bag and heads out only to find you leaning against the wall of the building, with a contented look on your face as you gaze off to your right. He glances over to see what you’re looking at and smiles at the breath-taking sunset. 

He moves up next to you and puts an arm over your shoulder. “It’s a beautiful sunset tonight.” He tells you. 

You nod. “Yeah. I thought I’d just stand here and enjoy it till you came out to the car.” You said as you turned and smiled up at him. He looks down at you and gives you a peck on the cheek. “Here are your purchases, my lady.” He says cheekily as he bows and hands you your bag.

“Oooh, thank you kind sir!” you reply putting a hand on your chest, and grin up at him as you take the bag. He chuckles and goes to open the door for you after you hand him the keys. 

He helps you in, then gets in and starts the car. The two of you head to his place and when you get inside, he heads up to his room. “I’ll be down in a minute. I gotta get out of these and into something more comfortable.” He tells you. 

You head over to the living room, take your jacket off and and dump your stuff out on the coffee table. You open the packages and toss the wrappers into the plastic bag and put your toiletries into the heavy duty zipper bag, then you put your makeup in the bag, as well as the hairpins, hair ties and toothbrush and toothpaste. You toss that travel bag into your black messenger bag and then put the hairbrush and comb in one of the pockets and carefully poured some hair oil into one of the containers and sealed it, then poured the make up remover into another one. You sealed that one too. Then you stuffed the rest of your purchases into your bag and went to the kitchen with the two travel bottles of liquid, and the plastic bag of garbage. You tossed the garbage in the trash bin and then put the travel bottles in small zip bags you found in one of the drawers. 

You heard Richard coming back down the stairs and you giggled to see him in just his sweatpants. He grins and grabs you on your way into the living room. He takes you in his arms and gives you a hug. “Will you stay here with me tonight?” he asks in his velvety smooth baritone voice. 

“As long as you behave.” You tease. He gives you his Guy of Gisborne smirk and ever so slightly raises an eyebrow at you; making you giggle and run into the living room to put your bottles in the black messenger bag. 

Richard sneaks up behind you and wraps an arm around your middle, then takes his other hand and starts to pull your corset strings loose. “Richard!” you exclaim trying to turn around to face him. “What are you doing?” you say laughing as you try to squirm out of his arm. He holds you tight, pinning your side against him, and he leans down to your ear. 

“I’m helping you get more comfortable, Love. We’re not going anywhere else tonight and I’m not opening that door for anyone but a cop.” He tells you. 

You look up and sigh, “All right, Richard.” You reply and stop squirming. He kisses your ear and neck and shoulder. “That’s my girl.” He tells you as he loosens the laces. Once they are hanging loose, he gently turns you so your back is against his chest and he uses his hand that had been holding you against him to flip the hooks open on the front of the corset, one… by… one… as he peppers your neck with kisses and his hand caresses your side. 

When the last hook opens, he gently takes the corset and slips it off of you and sets it on the side chair along with your messenger bag and coat.

He holds you now, finally feeling your body against his without the corset. He revels in how soft you are and how wonderful you feel. “Are you comfortable now?” he asks.

You giggle. “Well, I’d be more comfort able if these boots were off.” You reply. 

He grins and picks you up and lays you down on the couch and picks up your foot and grabs the zipper on your boot and oh so slowly unzips your knee high boots, kissing the now exposed skin of your leg where the cut outs were in the leather, as the boot falls away. When he gets to your ankle, he pulls the boot off and moves to your other leg and repeats the process of unzipping the zipper and kissing the exposed skin. 

Once both boots are off, he massages your feet, earning some tantalizing moans from you. “Oh, God! Rich! I don’t remember the last time someone massaged my feet like that! You’re gonna melt me like butter doing that!” you tell him, earning a deep, rumbling, chuckle from him.

“Now, you lay here and relax, and I’m gonna go make us some supper. Let Scarlett know what happened this afternoon if you haven’t already and tell her you’re with me and we are ‘disappearing’ for the evening, to not contact us unless it’s an emergency.” He instructs you.

You nod and he gets up and kisses your forehead, then goes to the kitchen and washes his hands then starts to make supper.


	11. Chapter 11

You laid there on the couch feeling utterly pampered and relaxed. You text Scarlett and let her know what happened at work. She calls you and the two of you talk. You tell her about work, and the training session with Mark and Phantom.

She asks what the plans are for the evening and you tell her that you and Richard are going to unplug and ‘disappear’ for tonight and just try to relax and unwind. You ask her not to call or message unless it’s an emergency. She tells you to have a good night with Richard, giggling as she does so and tells you she’ll see you tomorrow.

You hang up and close your eyes and then remember you should let Todd know where you’re at if there’s any problems.

“Hey Todd, it’s Harley. I’m with Richard for the night at his place. He’s gonna keep me safe and we’re gonna ‘disappear’ at his place and just watch movies and relax. If you hear anything about the case, text me. Otherwise I’ll be offline for the night. Have Alex text me what time they want to get started tomorrow, would ya? Thanks!” You type out and hit send to Todd’s phone number.

He texts back a few minutes later, “Ok. Thanks. I’m with Alex now and he said to just let him know when you’re ready and they’ll come over with the truck.” He tells you.

“Ok, will do. Have a good night!” you reply. Then you set your phone down on the coffee table and get up. You wander into the kitchen and stand in the doorway watching Richard making something for supper. You sneak up behind him and drag your fingernails lightly down his bare back. You see goosebumps form on his skin, and you kiss as far up his back as you could reach.

He looks over his shoulder at you and you see his eyes are dilated. “What are you doing, Love? You’re supposed to be laying down and relaxing.” He says with a moan when you wrap your arms around his hips and press yourself against his back.

“I was, then I got bored and if I laid there any longer, I was gonna fall asleep, and that would be no fun for you.” You tell him.

“What are you making?” you ask. He grins and says, “You’ll just have to wait and see, Sweetheart. How bout you go find us a movie to watch.” He tells you.

You kiss his back again and hear him moan quietly. You lightly drag your nails along the skin at the waistline of his sweatpants before sauntering back into the living room.

He glances at you when you walk out of the kitchen and you swore you could hear him let out a moan of want.”

You looked around at his living room and admired how he had things arranged. You wondered if he did all this himself, or if it came this way or if he had hired someone to decorate it for him.

You giggled when you saw some Lego sets he had of Middle Earth and one of the Hobbits. You picked up his Thorin Lego figurine and looked at it. You chuckled at them and put the Lego Thorin back in his spot.

You looked in a bookcase near the tv and found his stash of Blueray and Dvd’s. Flipping through them, you found one you hadn’t seen before and read the back of the case. You shrugged and was going to put it back in the bookcase when you felt his hands on your hips and his chest against your back.

He leaned down and whispered in your ear, “That would be one of my favourites, have you seen it?” he asks as he runs a hand up your side and nuzzles your neck.

You close your eyes and enjoy his gentle touch and all the little fires it was setting on your skin. “No, I haven’t seen that one yet.” You manage to get out.

“Mmmmm.” He rumbles low in your ear. “I think we need to watch it then.” He says in a low voice as he nibbles your ear. He guides you over to the blue ray player and flips it on as well as the tv. Keeping one hand on your hip. He opens the blueray player and then rumbles in your ear. “Put it in.”

Hearing those three words in that tone, combined with his touches made you moan quietly. You open the case and carefully take out the disc and slip it onto the holder and push the button to make it go inside the machine. “Good, now come on, Love. Join me on the couch.” He says huskily as he pulls you towards the couch.

He lies down on his side and pulls you down next to him. He wraps an arm around you and runs his hand up and down your side and across your belly. He chuckles as it grumbles, and he reaches over and picks up a strawberry dipped in chocolate and holds it above your mouth.

You grin and open your mouth; he drops the end of it in your mouth and you take a bite. You giggle when some of the chocolate falls off the fruit and ends up down your shirt. You go digging for it to his amusement and pull it out. Before you can pop it in your mouth, he takes your hand and brings it to his mouth and pops it into his with a grin.

You blush and giggle. He holds the strawberry above your mouth again and you take another bite. He feeds you the strawberries and you two share the chocolate covered fruit while the beginning credits play and by the time the movie starts, he is kissing you all over.

You are panting at his touch and kisses. And are grateful for the alarm he set that conveniently goes off when he is starting to lose his self-control with you. He puts his forehead on your chest and groans. “Impeccable timing.” Earning giggles from you.

He moans and pulls himself up and heads for the kitchen.

You take a few minutes to breathe and go ‘Wow! If this is him just making out with you, what the hell is he like when he is making love and when he is fucking someone?!?’ you wonder.

You are still pondering it when he comes plodding back with two plates of food. Home made pepperoni pizza and then he goes back into the kitchen and comes back with two wine glasses and a bottle of his favourite wine.

You giggle and say, “You made me home made pizza…oh and wine!?!? Oh, you’re _definitely_ a keeper!” you tease.

His eyes light up and he grins bashfully. I hope you like it. It’s a recipe that Lee Pace found, and we tried it in our trailers one night. We thought it turned out pretty good!” He tells you as you sit up and he sits down next to you.

You lean your head against his shoulder and hug his bicep. “Thanks Richard!” you tell him. He grins and hands you a glass of wine. “What should we toast to?” he asks.

You stop and think. “Friendship, blessings and love.” You reply.

He smiles, “Here’s to friendships, unexpected blessings, and Love that Endures.” He says as he looks in your ice blue eyes, and you smile. Nodding, you hold up your glass and he taps his to yours. Then you both take a drink and dig into your pizzas.

He grabs his phone and takes a picture of the two plates with pizza on them and half full wine glasses. Then he posts, the picture to his Instagram and Twitter pages with the caption, “Here’s to friendships, unexpected blessings and Love that Endures all things. Love ya, Sweetheart.”

He grins at you and snaps a picture of you, and you raise an eyebrow. “Please tell me you’re not posting pictures of me on your social media pages.” You say.

He smiles and shakes his head. “No, Sweetheart, that one was for me.” He tells you as he kisses your cheek.

You nod. The two of you eat and watch the first part of the movie. Richard gets up and brings the entire pizza and puts it on the coffee table. “Screw plates let’s just eat it off this. He grins, pushing the two phones to the end of the coffee table and stacking the plates next to them.

You chuckle and grab a slice. “I like this pizza. I may have to beg for the recipe so I can make it at home!” you tell him.

He looks at you and smirks. “Ooohhh, I don’t knowwww. I may have to check with Lee to see if I’m allowed to give it to you.” He teases.

You giggle, “What??? Pleeeeaaaasssseeee?” you reply, giving him your best puppy dog eyes. Which makes him bust up laughing.

“Oh, Sweetheart, it’s gonna cost you for that one!” he tells you.

You get an evil grin and raise an eyebrow. “Really?” you say in almost a growl. “And what will it cost me to get this amazing recipe?” You say as you turn and start to crawl towards him.

He grins, reclining back and putting his hands behind his head. “Ohhh, let me see. At least a few kisses…” he begins.

“Mmmm, that I can do…” you say as you crawl up to him, straddle his lap and start to kiss your way down his arm and shoulder, then down to his neck… reaching up to his face, you turn it when you reach his jaw and kiss your way along his bearded jawline until you reach his chin then work up to his lips. He is moaning and his eyes are closed. His free hand trailing up and down your back.

You pepper his lips with little light kisses, and he parts them in an almost inaudible groan. You grin and lick his lips and give him the most breathtaking kiss you know how to do. His arms clamp around you and he pulls you on top of him and crushes you to his chest.

Needing air, you pull back and he starts to pepper your neck and upper chest with little kisses and love nips moaning as he does so.

“What else will this recipe cost me?” you tease as you run your fingers through his hair. He looks up at you and you see his eyes are completely dilated.

You lean down and take his head in your hands and kiss his eyes closed. “Calm down, big guy, we have all night.” You whisper. He buries his head in your chest moaning.

“God you make me so deliriously happy, Love. I just want to smother you with kisses and love and make you mine forever.” He tells you as you hold his head against your chest.

You smile and run your fingers through his hair calming him down. He has his ear right over your heart, listening to it’s comforting rhythm. His eyes are closed, and his arms wrapped around your middle.

You sit like that for quite a while, just holding each other and drawing comfort and love from each other.

After a while, you say, “Rich, Love, I need to shift positions, my legs are going to sleep.” You tell him. He chuckles and kisses your cleavage, then gently picks you up and lays you down next to him. You are on your back and he is on his side. He just looks at you with an adoring look on his face and you can feel the love radiating out of him.

You reach up and caress his face, his jaw, and his lips. He grins and kisses each fingertip and pulls your index finger into his mouth and gives it a gentle suck and plays with it using his tongue.

You grin and let out a little moan as your eyes close imagining that talented tongue in other places on you. He grins at seeing your reaction. He lowers your hand and lies down next to you and just holds you close.

“I love you, Harley. I don’t want to rush you. If I’m moving to fast for you, tell me to slow down, Ok?” he whispers in your ear. “I don’t want to hurt you or ruin what we are building.”

He tells you.

“Ok, Rich. For now, will you hold me and keep me safe?” you ask. He grins and nods. “Your wish, my dear, is my command. Tonight, is all about you. Making you feel safe, happy and loved.”

“You’re doing fine sweet cheeks.” You tell him, earning a hearty laugh from him.

He gives you as squeeze and you both cuddle on the couch and watch some more of the movie.

At some point the two of you fall asleep for a while. You wake up after a while to him caressing your face and tummy and legs. You just lay there enjoying his gentle touch. With a smile on your face.

“Do you like?” he rumbles in your ear. “Mmmhmmm. No one has ever touched me the way you do, Richard.” You murmur.

He frowns for a moment wondering what kind of touches you had received before, but then he realizes he is the first one to do this to you and it makes him happy to be able to give you such simple pleasures for the first time.

He just continues to enjoy caressing your body and takes his time. “Richard?” you ask.

“Hmmm?” he says as he gently kisses your neck.

“I like how your touch makes me feel.” You tell him as you sigh happily.

He grins. “How does my touch make you feel?” he asks as he runs his fingers down the leather of your pant leg.

You moan quietly. “I don’t know how to describe it.” You reply.

“Try.” He whispers in your ear then gently blows into it. “I want you to describe to me what you feel.” He says, getting incredibly turned on by the idea.

“Your touch makes me feel like little bolts of energy run through me wherever your wonderful, large, warm fingers trace along my body. Leaving warm paths on my skin. I feel how much you love me and how much you want to protect me and keep me safe. I feel…” he stops you with a gentle kiss, one that lingers and slowly starts to grow.

He traces the line of your lips with his tongue and you part them for him to enter and explore your mouth. You feel his tongue caress every inch he can, and you grin as he tastes like pizza and wine.

His hands caress every inch of your body that you allow and that he can reach. Slowly, sensuously, exploring and pleasuring as he goes. He looks at you and continues to kiss you slowly and lovingly. Whenever his hands get too close to your crotch though, you stop his hand and redirect it.

He looks at you and you tell him, “I-I’m just not ready for that yet, Rich.”

He nods and gets lost in touching you elsewhere. “When you are ready, Love, let me know. I want you to know that pleasure in a good way, not how you were treated before, Love. I want to pleasure you and make you happy and feel safe with me completely. I will wait for you till the end of time if I must.” He whispers to you.

“I love you, Harley, _everything_ about you. Your brokenness and you as a whole. You are beautiful, inside and out, My Love. And I can’t seem to get enough of you. You’re addicting and intoxicating, and thank you for wanting to be with me, for letting me get close, for letting me into your world.” He tells you in quiet whispers between kisses to your face, neck, lips, chest shoulders arms and fingers.

He lays his head down on your shoulder and cuddles against you for a while, drawing lazy shapes on the skin of your bare belly since you let him push your shirt up to just under your breasts. You were content. You cradled his head and absentmindedly ran your fingers through his hair. “Thank you.” You whisper and kiss the top of his head. His soft hair tickling your nose.

He hums and wraps you in a full body hug. Twining his legs with yours and taking your free hand in his and twining his fingers between yours. He brings them to his soft lips and kisses them. Then rests your entwined hands on your belly. He sighs contentedly and the two of you again drift off for a while and get some rest.

The next time you wake up, it’s cuz you feel him lifting you up bridal style and carrying you up the stairs. He has your head resting on his shoulder and your nose is against his neck. You grin and start to gently kiss his neck and nuzzle it. He stops and groans, “Mmmmmm, oh Honey, please, wait till I get you in bed. I don’t want to drop you on the stairs.” He tells you and you chuckle as he continues up the steps to his room.

He lays you gently on the bed and pulls the sheets and comforter out from under you gently. He sits down and asks if you want something to change into for pajamas.

You nod. He stands and digs around in his dresser; he pulls out a black v-neck t-shirt and tosses it over to you then digs around in another drawer for a pair of sweatpants.

He hears a noise and turns to see you sitting there in just his shirt and your underwear, which are hidden by the shirt. Your legs are tucked under you, but he can see they are marred by many scars. “Do you want a pair of pants to sleep in, Honey?” he asks not sure how he should react.

You shake your head. “Would you just come and hold me?” you ask, keeping your head down and playing with your fingers. He comes and sits beside you. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, Love.” He tells you.

“No. I want to, I’m just a little scared. The only people who have seen me like this is my doctor and Scarlett, the nurses, and the men who did this to me.” You tell him, indicating your scars. “And I made Scarlett, the nurses and my doctor promise never to tell anyone about it and not to report it.”

You explain. You sense him get upset realizing some assholes hurt you bad enough to leave scars. But you hear him take a few, slow, deep breaths and he takes your hands in his. “Why didn’t you want them to report it, Love? Do you want to talk about it, or do you just want me to hold you for now?” he asks.

You look up at him, “Can we do both?” you ask. He nods and lays down next to you and pulls you to lay against his side and you rest your head on his shoulder. He wraps both arms protectively around you and he kisses the top of your head between your braids.

You tell him about your three ex boyfriends and how they used you, and would tie you up and cut you or whip you and would scratch you deeply when they would fuck you. You told him they were always rough and it always hurt and they would tell you that it was supposed to be like that and that you just had to learn to enjoy it. That was how you got such a high pain tolerance.

You explain that they told you that if you ever told anyone what they did, that they would make you wish you never were born and that they would go after your family and close friends as punishment.

Nervously, you explain how you would work up the courage to leave them and then end up with another man just as bad the next time around. You explain that your last boyfriend, Ben, gave you the majority of the worst scars and gave you all the ones not on your legs.

This confused Rich, but he didn’t question you and just let you talk. He did his best trying not to react the way he wanted to. He didn’t want to scare you. It pissed him off hearing what the men did to you. 

Quietly, you tell him you don’t know or understand what is going on in your body when he touches you so gently or caresses your arm gently or puts his hands on your back and just holds it there. You told him how it was so new to you that you still aren’t sure how to react and if it’s supposed to feel like this warm fuzzy feeling or not.

Hearing you talk about your experience stirs such a mix of emotions in Richard. He wants to beat the shit out of the three men who mistreated you and gave you such a bad taste for intimacy and sex.

Rich wanted to cry at seeing your brokenness and uncertainty, and he wanted to just pull you into himself and never let you be hurt again.

But most of all he wanted to make you feel safe and loved above anything else. He wanted to be the first to show you how lovemaking SHOULD feel.

He held you close and gently rubbed your back, saying, “I’m so sorry you have been so mistreated by asshole men, Harley. I wish I could go and take away all that pain and uncertainty they caused you.

Intimacy and sex are _not_ supposed to be painful. Some people enjoy it like that, but most do not.

I do not like it. It should never be forced on someone who does not enjoy it and it should never, ever leave physical scars on a person.” He murmurs to you as he rubs your back gently. Trying to soothe your uncertainty away.

“The warm fuzzy feelings are how you are supposed to feel when someone is touching you right and pleasing you the way you should be pleased. Intimacy is an act of love and trust, it is something that is shared between two people who deeply love each other and should always create that warm, fuzzy, tingly feeling inside you that takes your breath away and sends you on cloud nine.” He tells you. "It should always be pleasurable for both parties and make them feel like they are connected and are one being.

If it ever isn’t pleasurable or someone is doing something to you that makes you feel uncomfortable, don’t be afraid to ask them to stop and redirect them to some other place that they can touch or explore. Like you did earlier with me on the couch.” He tells you and kisses your head again.

You sigh and nod. “I like how you touch me, Richard. I guess I was just nervous and a little scared. You tell him.

He smiles. “I understand, Sweetheart. I don’t want to rush you into doing something you may regret because you weren’t ready.

When you feel ready to try other things, let me know, we will take it slow and we’ll communicate. If you don’t like something, you tell me, and I will stop, or we can try something else. Ok?” he asks you. I want you to trust me when we do that. I don’t want you to be afraid. All I ask is that you keep the line of communication open, honey. I’m not a mind reader and I don’t play games when it comes to matters of the heart.

“Ok, Richard.” You say.

You are quiet for a while and just lay there thinking about the conversation you two just shared. Your hand is resting on his bare chest and you can feel his heartbeat, slow and steady. You start to trace little shapes across his chest and belly absentmindedly, not paying attention to the effect it was having on him.

You wanted to feel his touch all over your body, but you were scared of opening your heart to being hurt again. It had been broken so many times that you didn’t think you could handle it being shattered again.

You trust him and want him, and you wondered what it felt like to feel like you are one with another person. You wondered what it was like to have pleasurable sex, where you and he both enjoyed it. Could it even happen now that you had no womb and ovaries? Could you even _have_ an orgasm anymore? It didn’t seem to bother Richard that those physical parts of you were gone. You wondered what sex would feel like now, and with him.

You heard him rumble a low moan, and you glance up at him. His head is tilted back, and his eyes are squeezed shut, he is biting his lip and you are confused. Then you feel his hand gently stop yours from tracing patterns on his belly. You glance down and see he is very hard, and you realize how low your fingers were tracing patterns on him.

He feels you tense up. “It’s all right, Love, you were just getting close to making me come. I didn’t want to scare you if you weren’t ready for that yet.” He tells you with a strangled voice as he tries to calm down.

“You like it when I touch you like that? I didn’t even realize I was doing it! I’m sorry.” You say quietly. Feeling embarrassed.

He chuckles quietly. “Sweetheart, don’t apologize, you almost made me come with just your little fingers tracing patterns on my belly. It was feeling wonderful. Your touch is addicting and intoxicating, and I love it.” He tells you as he brings your fingers to his lips and kisses them reverently.

“I would love to feel your nimble fingers caress me lower, but only when you are ready. There’s no hurry or rush. I just didn’t… didn’t want to scare or upset you if I came. I wasn’t sure how much more of your gentle touch I could take without losing my control.” He tells you.

“I want you to set the pace for this part of our relationship. I don’t want to hurt you or make you feel bad, sweetheart.” He tells you and kisses your head.

You lay your head down on his chest and hear his heart beating much faster than before. “You like my touch?” you ask again, still trying to process whether or not it was something he wanted.

“Yes, Love, I love how you touch me. You pleasure me without even trying.” He tells you. You look up at him and he gives you a gentle kiss.

You lay back down on his chest. “Will you show me how I make you feel? Will you make me feel like that?” you ask him quietly.

“Do you want me to?” he asks you.

You nod.

“You sure?” he asks.

You nod again.

“Give me a few minutes to calm down and I will try to show you how you make me feel.” He tells you and kisses you gently as he turns on his side and caresses your face.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: (for 18+ only) Explicit descriptions of smut. Consensual oral and lovemaking

**Warning:** (for 18+ only) Explicit descriptions of smut. Consensual oral and lovemaking.

After a while you start to doze off in his arms. He watches you for a bit and gently brushes a wisp of hair out of your face. You sigh and smile as his large, warm hand cups your face and you feel his lips placing gentle kisses on yours. He moves to placing feather light kisses on your face, then moves to your neck and shoulders.

His hand moves to your waist and he gently caresses your hips and belly with feather light touches. You sigh happily and caress his arm. His hand slides up under the hem of your shirt as he moves it up the side of your torso while he kisses your shoulder. You close your eyes and enjoy the feelings he is creating in you.

You barely notice he is pulling off your shirt gently, and he lifts your head as he pulls the shirt over your head, continuing to pepper you with feather light kisses.

He lays your head back on the pillow, tossing your shirt over his shoulder. He lays next to you as he nuzzles your neck gently.

You close your eyes again and moan quietly. “Oh, Rich, your hands and lips are wonderful! Please don’t stop.” You ask him.

He grins against your neck. “Show me where you would like to feel my hands and lips on you.” He says quietly into your ear as he places gentle kisses around it. Taking his hand, you place it over your breast and just hold it there.

He smiles slightly and waits for you to move your hand away. When you do, he gently begins to explore your chest with his hand. He works his way down to your chest, placing gentle kisses and love nips along your neck, shoulders and upper chest.

Taking one breast in his hand, he gently begins to caress and massage it and begins to lick and kiss circles on your other one till he reaches your nipple. He ever so gently takes it in his mouth and circles it with his tongue.

You let out little whimpers of pleasure and moan quietly when he takes your nipple in his mouth and begins to gently suck. You feel little jolts of energy race from your nipple through your body. Suddenly you feel it from the other nipple as his fingers gently mimic what he is doing with his mouth.

“Oooohh, Richard!!!” you moan in pleasure.

“Do you like it?” he asks, pausing in his ministrations to make sure it is something you are enjoying.

“Mmmmhmmm.” Is all you’re able to get out as he goes back to gently sucking your breast.

You feel him shift over the top of you as he moves to your other side and starts to give your other breast some attention with his luscious lips and tongue. His hand shifting to the breast he just abandoned so it doesn’t feel neglected.

You’re moaning quietly at the wonderful sensations he is able to create.

After a while, he moves on and begins to kiss and lick little patterns on your sides and belly. Making you giggle. “Rich, your beard and mustache! That tickles!” you tell him.

He grins and slows down, using a little more pressure so it doesn’t tickle. When he gets to your underwear line, he looks up at you. “Can we remove these or would you like to keep them on for a while yet?” he asks.

You look down at him through hazey eyes. You feel him kissing along the waistline, patiently waiting for you to answer. His hands gently running up and down your thighs slowly caressing you with his calloused fingers.

You close your eyes and moan quietly and feel him starting to kiss you over the top of the fabric as he works his way down. He begins to kiss your inner thigh, and kisses down to your knee, then slowly drags his tongue back up in little patterns along your inner thigh.

When he gets to the top, he gently kisses his way across your crotch, pausing at your opening that is covered by the fabric. He places a long, warm kiss over it, breathing in your heady, musky scent before he continues to kiss across to your other leg. He repeats the kisses up and down your inner thigh and drags his tongue up and down it, making little patterns on it as he does so.

When he gets back to your crotch, he again kisses to your core’s opening over the fabric covering it, and pauses giving it another long, warm kiss as he enjoys your scent.

The feeling of his lips, and hot breath on your core’s opening is intoxicating and makes you feel heady as if you were drunk. You know that you only had one glass of wine, so you are not drunk. But good Lord! This man knows how to please a woman!

You slowly reach down and start to pull the waistline of your black lace underwear down. He looks up and sees your eyes are closed and he reaches up and caresses your hands. You let go of the elastic and fabric and he takes over as he slowly lowers them. He sees the horizontal scar from your surgery and traces it with his tongue and plants loving kisses along it back and forth for several minutes, making you tear up at the reverence he pays your scar.

Then he carefully pulls off your underwear and then moves to explore what they hid from his sight. He kisses his way up your leg from ankle to the top. Caressing it as he went.

Richard marveled at all the scars that littered your legs all the way up and wondered how long the three exes had tortured you to give you so many. He was surprised and angered to see scars on your crotch and on the lips of your opening as well. He made sure to be extra gentle and loving as he kissed you there and lovingly licked and tasted you.

You let out a little gasp the first few times his lips touched your skin there, but you didn’t tense up or try to stop him so he moved slowly, savoring the moment and taking his time to let you experience as many new pleasures as he could give you.

He gently sucked your lips as his tongue parted them to taste your sweet juices, and he gently searched for your round, sensitive pearl. You gasped when he took it in his lips and caressed it with his tongue gently, earning a long, low moan of pleasure from your lips.

Richard grinned, and gently let go of your pearl and began to push his tongue into your warm opening, hungry to taste more of you. You moan again and call his name. “Do you want me to stop, Sweetheart?” he asked, not moving unless you asked him to.

“Oh, God, no! It feels amazing!” you squeak out. “Please… I want more.” You beg.

He grins, “Then more you shall have, Love.” He tells you and goes back to pleasuring you with his tongue and lips.

After a bit, he glides his hand up your leg and across your crotch. He begins to gently work your pearl with his thumb as he slowly fucks you with his tongue. You feel a pressure building deep inside you and you moan louder.

Rich senses you are starting to build towards an orgasm, so he slows down. He doesn’t want to make you come quite yet. He moves his hand off to the side of your entrance and traces it with his thumb as he kisses your inner thigh.

With his thumb rimming your entrance and his lips on your inner thigh, you feel like you’re on cloud nine. You’ve never felt so loved before and all the new sensations are almost overwhelming, but you don’t want them to stop.

You moan again and feel his hand shift and suddenly something is entering you making you moan louder.

You keep your eyes closed and focus on the feeling. It doesn’t feel very thick and you guess its his fingers. They caress your inner walls, learning how you feel and searching for spots that stimulate those happy, tingly feelings inside you.

Your body jumps when his fingers stumble on one spot and he grins wickedly. He gently goes back to that spot and your body jumps again. He begins to caress the spot feeling the difference in it’s texture, and your moans get louder. He studies your face, not wanting to over do the stimulation.

He sees you start to pant, and he backs off. Slipping another finger inside you, he starts to gently scissor them and slowly starts to stretch your opening. You are moaning and groaning in pleasure, writhing under his touch; and he is grinning from ear to ear at the delectable sounds he is drawing out of you.

He inserts another finger and starts to gently push them in and out of you, slowly finger fucking you. You moan his name and he is getting hard again. He begins to kiss around your lower regions as he continues to slowly finger fuck you. You are beyond ecstasy now and are panting and mewling. You beg him for more.

“Are you sure, Love?” he asks. “There is only one way I can give you more. Are you sure you want it?” he asks you.

“Please, Rich, I need to feel you inside me. I _want_ to feel you inside me.” You beg.

He slowly pulls his fingers out of you and licks them clean. You whimper at the loss of sensation. He sits up and reaches over towards the nightstand. But you stop him.

“If you’re reaching for what I think you are, Hun, you don’t need them. Remember? I don’t have the equipment to get preggo anymore and I’ve been tested and am clean.” You tell him.

He grins. “I forgot, Love.” He tells you as he removes his sweatpants and settles on top of you for a moment, gently kissing your lips and looking into your eyes.

“Are you sure you want this?” he asks again. “I don’t want to rush you.” He tells you.

“Please, Rich, you’ve made me feel so very loved and touched me in ways no one has ever done. You’ve made me feel things I’ve never known I could feel. I want to feel you inside me. Please.” You beg as you pull him against you. “Please, let me feel this too. All I’ve ever known is being fucked roughly, no one has ever made love to me. I was only ever used for their personal gratification and they never cared about mine. Please, Rich. Make love to me. Show me how it is supposed to feel. Show me how much you love me.” You beg.

At those words his lips crash into yours and he takes you in a gentle, yet passionate kiss that lasts several minutes. “I love you, Harley, I don’t know that I could ever show you the depth of my love, but I will try, even if it takes the rest of my life to do so, Sweetheart.” He whispers into your ear as he lines himself up with your opening.

He takes a slow breath trying to keep his wits about him and he gently starts to push into you. Taking his time and peppering your face and lips with soft, gentle kisses. Your head is tilted back, and your mouth is slightly open, and your eyes closed as you focus on the feeling of him entering and stretching you to your limits.

You let out a delectable moan as he starts to enter you that almost makes him lose control. Your fingers grip his upper arms and you are lost in the sensation. You continue to moan his name, encouraging him and begging for more, making him grin wickedly when he realizes he is the first to make you feel completely safe like this.

Once he is completely in as far as you’ll allow, he grins realizing you can take him fully. He gently pulls back out of you and you groan at the loss of his girth.

He enters you again, a little faster and tells you to open your eyes and look at him. You do and you see the love in his eyes. The lust is gone and all you see is unconditional love. You reach up and cup his face with your hands.

He leans into it as he pulls out almost completely and lets out a long, low moan. “Sweetheart, you feel amazing. So tight, so hot, so wet. God, you’re intoxicating!” he rumbles into your hand, kissing it reverently, and enters you again, making your eyes roll back into your head and you moan out his name again.

You smile.

“What do you feel, Love. Tell me.” He says as he leans down, changing the angle he is entering you at. You let out an “Oooohhhhhhh, Riiiicccchhh!” and he groans back.

“You feel wonderful! You fill me so much, so completely. You caress every inch of me inside. Oh God!” you exclaim as he thrusts into you gently again. Slowly driving you closer to the edge of orgasm.

He makes slow, passionate love to you for hours. Bringing you to the edge, but never over. He has you try various positions with him, and you two end up facing each other, sitting in his lap. His legs out behind you and yours out behind him. He is buried deep inside you and you both are embraced in a hug. He is kissing your neck and shoulder as the two of you rock back and forth, just barely moving him in and out of you enough to cause stimulation.

You murmur in his ear describing all the wonderful ways he has made you feel loved. You reach up and run your fingers through his hair, lovingly massaging his scalp.

He rumbles a long, low moan into your shoulder, and he holds you tight and starts to rock faster. You continue to play with his hair, describing what you are feeling to him, and he picks up the pace until you both cry out calling each other’s name, and come hard, holding each other as tight as you can.

Heavily panting you both cling to each other and you feel something wet on your shoulder. You feel tears trickling down your cheeks as well. He holds you and you cling to him, both of you silently crying tears of happiness and joy. “Thank you, my Love. I have never felt so loved by anyone in my whole life.” You whisper to him. He just nods and holds you tight and begins to rock back and forth again.

You sit like that with him rocking back and forth, being held closely, and making slow, passionate love in each other’s arms as he guides you to experience it all over again. This time getting you to orgasm first and he follows a few strokes later.

You can tell the orgasms now feel different, but are still amazing. You enjoy feeling him throbbing inside you as he shoots his hot load into you with out worry or concern. You hug him tightly. ‘I wish we could stay connected like this forever.” You whisper. “I’ve never felt so happy and complete before.”

He grins and nods. “Is this what you meant when you said it makes you feel like you’re one with the right person?” you ask quietly.

“Yes, Love. This is what I meant.” He replies hoarsely. He clears his throat and continues, “I’m glad I can make you feel like this, Harley, My Love.” He whispers into your ear. “You deserve it after all this time, abuse and heartache you have had to endure. I will do my best to make sure you always feel like this: loved, needed, wanted and appreciated.” He says, then takes your face in his hands and says as he looks into your ice blue eyes, “You… are… my… world… my Love. You will never lack for anything. I will make sure of it, sweetheart.” He says, then he clings to you and begins to rock again, more out of a comforting motion, than trying to stimulate.

You lean back and place your hands on either side of his face and look into his loving, sapphire eyes, “Thank you for seeing beyond my brokenness, and loving me anyway. You are truly a treasure.” You tell him and give him a breath taking, passionate kiss.

He groans and holds you tight. One hand on the back of your head, the other on your low back. You feel tears running down your cheeks and realize you both are shedding them. You smile and release him from the kiss. You kiss his cheeks where the tear drops are and kiss his eyes gently.

“I love you, Richard Crispin, Armitage. I never thought that going shopping with Scarlett would lead me down the path to meeting you, but I am glad it did.” You whisper to him.

He grins. “I never thought that being dragged to a bar called the Squawking Raven by Graham and Aiden and Martin, would lead me to finding the Love of my life.” He says as he caresses your face gently.

“My life was all about work and I was lonely and thought my time had passed for women and a serious relationship. I’m getting grey hairs, wrinkles and the ‘dad bod’. I felt old and anything but sexy. I thought no one would want that.” He confesses.

“Then I literally bump into you and your perfume made my senses reel and I couldn’t get your image out of my head. I still can’t.” he grins. “You made me come alive once again and make me feel like I’m a teenager, Harley.” He smiles and kisses you. “Thank you for letting me into your life, even if it is chaotic right now. The chaos will pass in time and I will be with you throughout it as much as I am able.” He tells you, as you both start to feel the familiar pressure start to build deep inside you both as he continues to rock you back and forth slowly.

You play with his hair, earning groans. “May I take your braids out, Love? I want to run my hands through your hair like you’re doing with mine.” He asks.

You nod.

You watch as he carefully takes the braid and brings it over your shoulder. He carefully takes the hair band out and slips it over his finger like a ring and carefully begins to unweave it.

Once he gets it unwoven up to the back of your head, he pulls your head against his shoulder and he continues to gently pull the braid apart and loosen the weave along your scalp until it is completely undone. It is still damp from your shower and it releases the scent of your shampoo and conditioner. Peppermint and lavender.

Richard groans as the smell hits his nose. You feel his dick throb inside you and you clench it gently, dragging a moan from his lips as he continues to rock you back and forth. He transfers your head to his other shoulder, and you nuzzle his neck, leaving little kisses and love nips.

He takes your other braid in his hands and begins to undo this hairband, again slipping it onto his finger like a ring. He unweaves it completely and begins to finger comb it out over your shoulders after he has you sit up and face him. He gently pulls the beautiful, wavy, dark hair down over your chest and grins when he sees it covering your breasts and it is grazing his dick as he moves in an out of you.

He pulls it around to your back and pulls you against him again. “Hold onto me.” He tells you quietly and you wrap your legs around his hips and your arms around his neck.

He moves his legs till they are crossed under your rear then he leans forward and lays you on your back, his member still buried deep inside you.

“Let go, Love.” He tells you and you release his neck and hips.

He gently picks up your legs and places your ankles on either side of his head, and he begins to caress your body as he starts to thrust slowly into you. Your eyes roll back, and you begin to moan.

He gradually picks up the pace and your moans and groans become louder and his grunts and growls do the same. He leans forward, placing a hand on either side of your shoulders and leans down as far as your legs allow with out causing pain. He watches your face, grinning at the look of ecstasy on it.

Your eyes fly open when he leans forward and the angle changes that he is taking you at. “Oh, God, Rich! Whatever you’re doing, don’t stop!” you get out and he groans.

“God, Harley, You’re so beautiful like this with my dick moving in and out of you and the look on your face. You look like a fucking angel with your hair splayed all over like that!” he rumbles as his pace quickens and begins to lose rhythm.

You open your eyes and look at the magnificent man making love to you. His face showing nothing but love and desire. His muscular chest heaving with the short breaths he is taking, his face flushed down to his chest and his large, warm hands grip your knees as he sits back and thrusts deeply into you. His sapphire orbs studying you then close and his head goes back as he lets out a growl. “God, Harley, you’re so tight like this! I don’t know how much longer I can last!” he tells you.

Giving him an evil smirk, you tighten your muscles down there and clamp around him as tight as you can, the friction of him moving inside you triggers your orgasm and you cry out his name and he growls low and loud as he finally gives in and comes deep inside you, filling you with his hot seed.

He lets your legs down and collapses on top of you. His breath heaving and caressing your chest with warmth. You lay there for a few minutes coming down from the high of orgasm.   
  


You feel him slip out of you and Richard grunts, annoyed. You giggle and tell him, “You looked like a Greek God, making love to me like that. You looked so happy, handsome and carefree.” You tell him as you caress his beard.

He grins. “Greek god, Huh?” he chuckles.

You hum, “mmhmm. You are sexy, Richard, silver streaks, wrinkles and that handsome ‘dad bod’ and all.” You tell him and pepper his forehead with kisses, and you caress his chest and belly, giving him belly rubs and making him chuckle.

“I have always thought men with silver streaks in their hair were sexy. My Mother always called them ‘wisdom highlights’ and I remember my Father had a lot of them.” You told him. “I always thought he was the most handsome man I had ever seen when I was a little girl.” You say.

“Then I grew up and one day this tall, dark haired stranger with silver streaks in his hair and captivating, sapphire eyes bumps into me at a bar and almost knocks me over at the Raven and when I turned and looked to see who had nearly knocked me over, I was captivated by the most handsome face I had ever seen.

Your piercing, sapphire eyes were so big, and your silver strands glowed in the lights and your hand was so hot on my hip, I thought it was going to burn me.” You giggled. “And when you spoke, Oh God! I thought my panties were going to melt!” you giggled again,

Richard grinned from the compliments you were paying him, and he rolled on top of you and looked at your face, beaming with glee. He grinned and for once actually believed what you had told him about his looks. He felt handsome for the first time in his life.

The way you looked at him, and caressed each feature of his face and body, he couldn’t deny that you truly felt the way you did. He grinned devilishly when you told him his voice nearly melted your panties.

“Really?” he said in a lower tone than normal. He felt you shiver and grinned mischievously again. He leans down so his mouth is near your ear, “Shall I tell you all the things I’ve wanted to do with you since I first met you? All the dreams I had and what I did to you in them?” He asks with the same lowered, panty melting chocolatey velvet tone.

You grinned and he felt your whole body trembling with anticipation. You began to rub against his cock and it immediately responded.

“Only if I get to tell you what I dreamed about doing with you.” You whisper seductively in his ear as you trail fingernails down his chest and belly.

He let out a groan and felt your fingers move lower and slowly grip his girth and start to stroke him till he was completely hard and precum dripped from his tip.

You grin and wipe it off from his tip and bring it to your mouth. He watches as you put the finger into your mouth and suck on your finger, humming contentedly.

He suddenly remembered the popsicle you ate in front of him and Graham and he groans and closes his eyes.

You read his mind knowing exactly what he is thinking about. “Shall I enjoy you like I did the popsicle?” you ask making his eyes fly open in surprise.

Before he can respond, you wrap your legs around his and your arms around him and flip him onto his back. He laughs, surprised, and lets you do what you want.

You grin mischievously and move down his body, kissing and nibbling as you go, earning moans and growls from him that he doesn’t try to silence.

You explore his body, working your way down it, nibbling, kissing, licking and tracing little patterns lightly with your delicate fingers, making him moan and rumble with pleasure.

Grinning, you reach his cock and it is standing at attention, ready for your lips. You grin and give it a slow lick up it’s underside from his balls to the tip like you did with the popsicle. He moans loudly barely able to believe you’re doing this.

You grin and begin to explore what pleases him. You push his legs open farther so you can move around and you kiss and nibble his inner thighs from his knees to his balls, making his head loll back and his eyes close as he revels in your ministrations.

He grins when he feels your hair caressing his inner thigh almost to the point of being ticklish. He reaches down and gently takes hold of it and carefully pulls it up and out of the way. He plays with it while you explore what pleases him.

You gently take his balls in your mouth one at a time and tease them with your tongue and lick between them, earning him to groan and buck his hips for you. You grin and pay his other inner thigh the same attention you gave the first one.

You move back to his member that is painfully erect and take the tip in your mouth. You gently twirl your tongue around it, feeling the silky texture on your tongue. The image of you doing that same thing with that popsicle flashes in his mind and he groans, “Oh, God! Harley, don’t stop!” he begs.

You continue to tease his tip and then begin to take more and more into your mouth. His breaths are becoming more ragged and he is calling your name. You have him almost completely sheathed in your mouth and you begin to suck him, and he lets out a particularly loud moan. Swiveling your head as you lay your tongue against the thick vein on the underside of his cock, he moans and bucks into you. You hum and he moans again only loudly.

Continuing to hum and swivel your head, you then begin to move up and down as you do so, and he is practically begging for you to mount him. You grin and continue to pleasure him with your mouth. His hands are gripping the bedsheet and your long locks tightly as his breaths come in short pants.

You want to taste his cum and are determined to make him come in your mouth first, then you will mount him. You reach down as you start to pick up the pace and you rub the patch of skin you felt between his balls and his asshole that made him buck earlier. He lets out a loud groan and grabs your head, tangling his fingers in your hair. “Harley, I can’t hold back much longer, please.” He begs.

You give him another rub of the patch of skin as you give him a harder suck and he growls. “Are you trying to make me come in your mouth?” he asks.

You look up at him with your ice blue eyes and give him a devilish smirk. He growls and you give him another suck and a rub of that patch of skin and he loses his control and with a loud growl of your name he comes in your mouth and flops back onto the bed.

You grin and suck him down, swallowing his seed and tasting his cum. He groans and gently fucks your mouth as you suck him to completion, rubbing that little patch of skin. Making him buck a couple times. When he finishes throbbing and you don’t taste his come any longer you gently lick him clean and then crawl back up his body peppering it with kisses and lie down on top of him and kiss his chin.

“Well?” you ask sheepishly. He lifts his head with great effort and a groan and looks at you for a moment then nods with a huge grin on his face. “Wow, Harley!” was all he was able to say for a while as he dropped his head back onto the pillow and struggled to come down from the mind-blowing orgasm. You grinned and kissed his lips gently.

After a bit, he takes his hands and cups your face and kisses you passionately, his tongue asking for entrance, which you allow. He ravishes your mouth, tasting his seed on your tongue and he is getting excited again. He breaks the kiss and simply asks, “Ride me, Harley, please, ride me.”

You grin and start to grind on his hard member, teasing your entrance with his tip, making him moan. “Harley, please…. put it in.” he begs in the same tone he used downstairs last night. Making you grin, thinking about the last time he said that, you hang onto his hands not letting him caress you this time.

“Be patient, Love.” You tell him as you feel yourself getting wet and you nibble and suck on his nipples, driving him into more of a frenzy. “Harley, Please!” He begs, squeezing your hands.

You grin and in one motion slide onto him and embrace him fully. He groans loudly, squeezing your hands, and you let him take your hips as you sit up. He begins to guide you to ride him and you enjoy the sensation of this position.

Then he starts to lift you up and down on his member and you understand what he wants. You start to take over the movements and he reaches up and cups your breasts through your hair. He grins as he feels it tickling his thighs and balls as the hair flows down your back and caresses your rear when you tilt your head back and arch into his hands as he fondles your breasts.

He looks up at you riding him and is in awe. You’re so beautiful like this, the moonlight silhouetting you as it shines in the open window. Highlighting your beautiful, sensuous curves. He is enraptured with you and lets you just ride him however you wish as he appreciates your beauty radiating out from around you.

He closes his eyes and enjoys the feeling and feels that deep pull inside him signaling the start of another orgasm building. He is getting tired and out of breath. He pulls you down and holds you close. You wrap your arms under his arm pits and up around the back of his shoulders, and you cling to him. He feels you pick up the pace and chase your own orgasm and you begin to ride him hard and fast.

He groans at the pleasure and starts to match you thrust for thrust. You both are panting and moaning and growling at the pleasures you are sharing and then he feels you clamp down on him and let out a low rumble of his name in his ear and you grip his shoulders and legs with an iron grip as you come hard.

He growls your name and thrusts a couple more times and joins you in orgasm as he spills his seed deep in your hot, moist cave. Then his arms fall loose to his sides and you go limp on top of him. Both of you panting and gasping for air as you are both out of breath and floating on cloud nine as you ride the wave of the powerful orgasm that hit you both.

You fall asleep joined together like that and sleep deeply. At some point his arms find their way back around you and when you finally wake up, it is morning and he is holding you tightly. His member rubbing against your entrance and you feel his lips against your neck calling your name quietly.

You pepper his chest with kisses, and he starts to enter you again, making you moan.

He takes his time and makes love to you as you lay on top of him. His hands caressing your back, your rear, gently squeezing it and kneading it and his lips never stop peppering your body with kisses. He sits up and swings his legs over the edge of the bed. He stands and carries you to the wall and pushes you against it and starts to make love to you against the wall. “I want to do this to you in every room of my home and yours eventually.” He tells you. I want everywhere we look in our homes to have a reminder of how much I love you, Harley.”

You giggle, “I’m all yours, sweet cheeks. You say as you give them a playful smack. He raises an eyebrow and grins. He gives you a slightly rougher thrust making you squeak. “Two can play at that game, Love.” He reminds you.

You chuckle and kiss him silly and he takes you against the wall till you come. Then carries you to the bathroom and sets you on his counter after he pushes everything into the sink. He takes you on the counter until you are coming around him again, arms and legs tightly wrapped around him and your panting breaths in his ears. He growls and refuses to come yet. Only wanting you to be pleasured for the moment.

He picks you up and takes you into the hallway and takes you into the guest room and lays you down on the bed, grinning. He pulls out of you, making you whimper.

“On your knees, Love.” He tells you. You comply and grin as he comes up behind you and gently pushes you down so your ass is up in the air and your face on the bedding. He leans down and licks your pussy until you come again with a loud cry of his name. Then he plunges into your tight throbbing cave while you come, and he roars at the tightness. He thrusts in and out of you as you ride the waves of orgasm and he picks you up and carries you to the railing in the hallway. He sets your feet on the floor and leans you over, resting your shoulders on the rail. He holds you close and leans over you, grips the railing on either side of your shoulders, and he takes you in the hallway till you both are screaming and come together fast and hard.

You chuckle as you feel his cum running down your leg. “Um, Sweetie, we need to get into the shower or you’re gonna be having carpets that need cleaning.” You tell him. He looks down and grins. He pulls out of you slowly, turns you around, and squats and licks his cum off your leg and cleans you with his tongue.

You groan at the feeling and your legs get shaky again as he reaches your opening and drinks you dry of his cum mixed with your juices. You are a groaning, trembling mess by the time he is done with you. He is grinning and picks you up and carries you into his bathroom.

He places you in his walk-in shower then joins you and closes the door. He goes to the shower handles and turns them on, regulating it so it is a comfortable temp. He ushers you under the water and steps back allowing you to freshen up.

He sits on the bench at the corner and watches happily as you wash your long hair and rinse it, then put conditioner in it and look around for some way to keep it up. He sees you frowning and comes over to you. “What’s the matter, Love?” he asks.

“I don’t have anything to hold my hair up while I wash the rest of me.” You tell him.

“Here. Allow me.” He tells you as he takes the mass of hair and holds it for you on top of your head as you wash your body and rinse it off.

He is surprised when you start to wash him while he holds your hair. He grins and lets you do as you wish. You wash his front then tell him to turn and rinse off the front while you wash off his back. He lets your hair tumble down your shoulder, and he steps into the stream of water while you move around to his back. You wash off his back and rear and legs then he turns around again and rinses his back off.

You see his eyes are closed and you squat down and suck on his cock again, earning moans from him that reverberate around in the bathroom.

“Oh God, Harley!” he tells you as you are close to bringing him to completion. He takes your head in his hands and thrusts into your mouth, chasing his orgasm. You don’t mind and suck him greedily. You reach under and toy with his balls a bit earning more moans from him, and then you find that patch of skin that seems to drive him over the edge when you toy with it.

Grinning wickedly, you rub it and he loses control and comes with a roar. You grin as he fills your mouth once more with his creamy cum. You swallow it and enjoy the taste. Rubbing the spot a few more times, he spurts out a little more. You milk him till he is spent.

Standing, you grin up at him and he leans on your frame for a few minutes. “God, Harley!” He tells you. “Warn me next time so I can sit down first.” He says with a chuckle. “You nearly made my knees buckle!” he told you as you giggle.

“All right, Love.” You tell him. “You ready for some breakfast?” you ask. He grins and nods. “Can’t I just have you for breakfast?” He teases as he nibbles your neck and moves you under the water again.

“Rinse off your hair and we’ll go have breakfast when you’re dressed again. I’m gonna get out before I try to take you in the shower.” He grins.

You grin smugly and wiggle your eyebrows as you rinse off your hair. He looks at you once more adoringly and then steps out of the shower to look for towels for the two of you.

He finds one and dries off then wraps it around his waist. He digs in the cabinet and finds two more towels. He sets them on the counter and grins when he sees all his toiletries in the sink. He cleans it up and puts the stuff off to the side of the counter so it’s out of the way for next time.

Then he heads into the bedroom and digs around for some clothes to wear for the day.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: (18+ only) Explicit descriptions of smug, fluff and lovemaking.

You shut off the shower and wring out your hair. You open the door to find two fluffy towels sitting on the counter for you. You grab one and turn with your back to the door, you bend over and pull your hair over the top of your head so you can dry it with the towel.

Richard glances over and sees you and is immediately hard. He groans at how enticing you are and comes over to stand behind you.

He grasps your hips and runs his hands up and down your back, enjoying being able to feel how soft your skin is. Then he reaches around to cup your breasts that are hanging down like lovely teardrops. He drops his towel and starts to grind against you, making you chuckle.

“Couldn’t resist the view?” you ask, giggling. He leans over you and whispers into your ear, “How could I when you are such a temptress, you have me under your spell, my Sweet.”

You shake you head, chuckling and get your hair wrapped in the towel. He pulls you to stand and turns you towards the counter. He takes the towel from off the counter and places it on the edge and leans you over the counter. He leans over you and asks, “Ready for round two?” then nibbles on your neck.

“I’m always ready for you, Rich. You can have me every day for the rest of our lives if you like.” You reply. You feel him put his head between your shoulder blades and groan.

“God, Woman! You sure know what to say to get me picturin’ dirty things!” he tells you as he reaches around and begins to play with your clit. You drop your head to the counter and moan, “Oh God, Rich!”

He grins. “Do you like it, my Sweet, or shall I stop and go get dressed?” he teases.

You shake your head unable to form coherent sentences.

You feel him at your entrance and then he starts to pepper your back with kisses and he enters you with a single thrust and a grunt. He takes your hips in his hands and starts to thrust, slowly at first, then faster. The two of you chasing that pleasure, and you begin to match his thrusts and reach back to grab his ass. He groans and starts to thrust erratically and feels you start to come.

You groan and squeeze his ass as you come, and he thrusts into you once more then comes with a growl and collapses on top of you. He wraps his arms around your waist as he regains his senses and caresses your front. He pulls you to stand and holds you as the two of you look at yourselves in the mirror. Faces flushed, eyes dilated, your towel had fallen off your head and your long, damp hair is hanging over your shoulders covering Rich’s hands which cup your breasts.

You grin seeing the satisfied look on his face like a cat that got into the milk canister. He grins down at you and kisses the top of your head which he tucks under his chin. He gives your breasts a gentle squeeze then carefully removes himself and grabs a washcloth and wets it in the sink. He gently cleans you off and then hands you the towel to wrap up in.

Rich tosses the washcloth into the hamper and then ushers you into the bedroom. “Rich, can you go get my messenger bag from downstairs? I need some of the stuff that is in it.” You ask him.

He nods, grabs his housecoat and puts it on. He heads down to the living room and grabs it, then sees both of your phones blinking from messages.

He grabs his, sees it’s almost 10am and sees Aiden has called multiple times this morning and texted. He opens the texts and sees what it says, his eyes get huge. He grabs your phone and tries to check it, but you have it locked. He grabs your messenger bag and the phones and bolts back upstairs.

Richard comes rushing into the bedroom and you look up and see something is wrong. “What is it Rich? What’s the matter?” you ask.

He hands you your phone and says, “Check your messages!” and puts the messenger bag on the bed then quickly tosses off the robe and starts digging for clothes to put on.

You take the phone and unlock it with your finger. You gasp when you see that Alex, Aiden and Scarlett have all called you this morning and texted you multiple times. You look up at Richard, worried. He is scrambling to get into his boxers and has a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt on the bed.

You read the texts and your eyes fill with tears. “Harley, someone set fire to your apartment last night and this morning someone attacked Todd at the bookstore and shot him! Hurry and get to the hospital when you get this!” said the one from Scarlett.

You hand the phone to Rich and he nods, “Aiden sent me something similar.” He tells you. Hurry now, get ready and we’ll have to pick up breakfast on the go.” He tells you.

“Rich, call and see if Graham knows.” You tell him. He nods and once he is dressed, he calls Graham.

You sit there stunned for a moment and then look around for your underwear. You can’t find them and look up at Rich, who has a smug smile on his face and has them hanging off his finger.

You get up to take them from him and he grins and shoves them in his pants pocket and refuses to let you have them.

When Graham picks up, you wait till Rich is distracted talking to him and you shove your hand into his pocket and snatch your underwear out. He glares at you and you smirk and put them on. He walks over and gives your bare rear a smack when you bend to pick up your leather pants.

Squeaking in surprise from the sting of his hand on your rear, you rub your ass and then seductively pull on your leather pants. He watches, grinning. You quickly look around for your top and can’t find it. You grin and go over to his dresser and pull open the drawer that he took the shirt out from last night. You dig around and don’t see any black shirts, but there is a grey one, so you shrug and grab it and pull it on.

Richard’s eyes get huge when he realizes you’re gonna wear one of his shirts today. You look around for your corset, then remember you left it downstairs, and then pull on your socks.

You grab your messenger bag and dump it out on the bed. You pull the hair oil out and put some in your hands and massage it into your hair like the stylist showed you. Then you take the comb and gently comb your hair, working out the snarls and kinks. You grab your deodorant and put it on, then decide to put your hair up in a renaissance bun.

You section off the hair around the perimeter of your head leaving 1” worth and take the rest and wrap it around your hand and then around itself until you run out of hair. You fold the piece that you wrapped around your hand over the hair you wound around itself and pushed the wad through the center of the loop. Securing it with hair pins, you then start at the back of your head, taking two small sections, twisting them once you add a small section to the bottom bunch with each twist, working your way all the way around your head until you were back where you started.

You secured it with an elastic hair band and then braided the remaining length into a five-strand braid. You fished it through the loop where you started and pinned it so it wouldn’t come loose.

Richard talked with Graham while you got ready, amazed at what you were able to do with your hair.

Graham filled Rich in that Scarlett had called him when they couldn’t get a hold of either of you. He told Rich he was about ready to come over and pound on the door if he wouldn’t have called when he did. “What the hell were you two doing that you didn’t have yer phones?” Graham asked.

“We were upstairs sleeping, Graham. It was a late night of movies and cuddles and the phones got left downstairs on the coffee table.” He tells him truthfully.

“Mmmmhmmm.” Graham grumbles. Well get yer asses over here. Everyone is at the hospital except Alex, who is dealing with the fire and the firefighters.” He tells Richard. I already called Mark and told him we’d be over later on for the lessons.” He reminds Rich.

“See you soon, Graham.” Rich says and hangs up.

He glances at you and you get up and head to the bathroom to put on makeup, then decide not to wear any today. “I don’t want to look like a raccoon from crying, cuz I know I will be crying.” You tell him.

“Rich, where’s my choker necklace?” you ask. He grins and pulls the necklace out of his sweatpants pocket from last night. “I didn’t want it to get lost. My couch tends to eat things that fall on it. Last time it was Martin’s wallet.” He giggles.

You grin. He comes and stands behind you and brings the necklace in front of you and drapes it onto your collar bone, then wraps it around your neck and clasps it in back. “It’s a beautiful necklace, where did you get it?” he asks.

“My Dad gave it to me for my 40th birthday along with these earrings. They are real sapphires and not synthetic.” You explain. “Pops had been saving for them since I was 18 and he finally had enough to get the stone on my choker and my earrings. He had the jeweler make them into earrings and he knew I liked that choker necklace since I have another one like it with fake rubies.

So, he had Mom make one for me and he brought it to the jeweler who mounted the stone in a setting and then sewed it onto the center of the choker.” You say as you caress it.

Richard hugs you from behind. “Well, it’s lovely on you. Now, your corset is downstairs as are your boots and coat. We need to get going, Love. Everyone is waiting for us at the hospital.” He tells you.

You nod and pack everything up back in your messenger bag. You grab your toothbrush and toothpaste and go brush your teeth as Richard does the same and runs a brush through his hair.

You toss your toothbrush and paste into your messenger bag and then head downstairs with it. Sitting down on the second step from the bottom, you pull on your boots and zip them up, then grab your corset and put it on.

You lean forward and hook the hooks then adjust your girls. Standing up, you reach back for the loops, but Richard is already there, starting to tug on them and helps you position the center panel. He gets you cinched into your corset and tucks the laces in. You turn and he grins now that you’re taller in your boots and he doesn’t have to bend down so far to kiss you. He gives you a quick kiss and then grabs your coat.

He helps you into the coat, grabs his and puts it on, then the two of you are out the door and heading for breakfast and the hospital.

Richard stopped at a fast food place and got you both breakfast sandwiches and crispy tater rounds and orange juice for you. He then stopped and got a coffee from a drive through vendor he liked for himself then headed for the hospital.

You both arrived and met everyone in the waiting room. Scarlett, Aiden and Graham were there along with several officers who knew the two Sand brothers.

Graham sat you down and told you to eat first before you did anything else. You nod and pull out the food Richard bought you.

Graham took Richard out into the hall and told him how bad Todd had been hurt. “I found him this morning around 7:30am when I went for a coffee before heading into work. He had been shot in the back a couple times, and his face and sides beaten pretty bad.

Looked like they kicked him when he was down. He’s unconscious and lost a lot of blood. They think he’ll survive, but he’s pretty badly beaten, Rich. He won’t be able to have the shop open for at least a month or more.”

Richard rubs his face and groans. “Rich, it was a good thing he made Harley take the day off. Remember, she was supposed to work today! Had she been there she would have ended up the same way!” Graham tells him.

He sees Richard’s face go white and his knees buckle. Graham caught him and slid him down the wall till he was sitting on the floor.

“Oh, God, Graham! I don’t even want to think about what would’ve happened if she was there!” Richard gets out. “Do they know who did this?” he asks Graham.

“Not yet, they’re reviewing the surveillance footage right now. I have a funny feeling though it’s either Harley’s ex or one of his lackeys.” Graham replies. “You gonna be okay, Rich?” he asks.

Richard sighs and puts his head in his hands. “I don’t know Graham. Harley and I are finally making progress and she is finally starting to relax and come out of her shell and feels safe allowing me to get closer and cuddle her. I am worried this will set her back again!” he tells Graham.

“Rich, you gotta tell her what happened. She deserves to know the truth. They torched her old apartment last night too. Someone threw a brick through the windows and then a lit maltov cocktail, chucking it in as well and started the living room on fire. It spread quickly and the whole building is a loss. Displaced three other families.” He told Rich.

“Apparently they didn’t realize she had been moved out of the apartment!” he tells Rich. “We’re lucky those cops moved her when they did, or she would’ve lost all her belongings that weren’t in those suitcases she packed!” Graham says quietly.

“Alex set up a permanent officer to watch her new apartment to make sure there’s no incidents there. And said they will have to hold off on moving her in until these guys are caught. I already told him I’ll cover the rent since she won’t be able to work till Todd is back on his feet. Lee is heading there to pay the pet deposit this morning.

It’s a good thing she spent the night with you last night. Aiden and Scarlett were at Lee’s for a party and they didn’t leave there till dawn. Came home to find Officer Sand in the entry waiting to talk to them since he couldn’t get a hold of you or Harley. He told them what happened and asked them to let you two know.” Graham tells Rich. “They called me, and I was already here with the cops waiting to find out if Todd made it.”

Rich nods. “They tried calling and left texts, but we didn’t see them till I came downstairs this morning and saw the phones blinking on the coffee table.” He rubs his face and slowly goes to stand. Graham helps him up and Richard leans against the wall rubbing his face.

“What are we gonna do Graham. You and I have to work. Aiden and Scarlett can’t protect her, and she isn’t gonna agree to stay in one place alone!” he says frustrated.

Graham thinks for a minute then smiles. “She can hang out with Scarlett at the studios. Aiden brings her with him every day he’s filming that other film the studio is working on trying to finish for the July release.

There’s plenty of places they can wander around on the property and they are safe cuz no one gets in unless the gate guards allow it. They already know what is going on and are being more selective now anyway.

All of a sudden Richard hears a phone ringing on the other side of the wall, then a few moments later he and Graham hear you cry out “NO!!!” and they look at each other and bolt into the waiting room.

Scarlett is sitting next to you, and Aiden is on the other side. You’re phone is on the floor an the officers are squatting around you trying to get out of you what just happened. Rich and Gram see you’re having a panic attack and are crying.

One officer picks up your phone and sees you had a call. He brings up the call log and pulls out his notepad. He sets the phone down on a seat and writes down the phone number of the last caller, the time of the call and the length of the call.

Richard rushes over to you and Aiden moves out of the way so Richard can sit by you. “Sweetheart, tell us what just happened.”

You are having a panic attack, trembling and crying and cling to him. You can’t talk you’re so upset. He wraps his arms protectively around you and looks up at Graham, who shrugs and walks over to the officer who picked up your phone.

“What happened?” he asks the officer.

“She was sitting there eating, and her phone rang. She answered it and then just screamed ‘No!’ and dropped the phone like it was on fire and she just went into a panic attack. She won’t talk and just sat there shaking and trembling and crying.” He explained.

Richard picks you up and carries you to a smaller waiting room down the hall that is empty and sits down with you in his lap. He shushes you and caresses your face.

You finally start to calm, and he murmurs to you that you’re safe and begs you to tell him what happened.

“It was him, my ex!” you cry. “He said ‘ _I warned you to stay away from him and you didn’t. Now your apartment is burned, as are your belongings, and your boss is dead, your lover and friends are next!’._ ” You tell him and start bawling again. Richard holds you closely and is now truly unnerved and pissed.

“Sweetheart, your boss isn’t dead, he is severely injured and badly bruised, but is still alive. The apartment that was torched, was your old one, not the new one. Your belongings are still safe in the moving truck, the arsonist didn’t realize the cops had emptied your old apartment out. As far as them getting me, and our friends, we will talk with Alex and let him know; and see what he suggests, OK?” he tells you as you calm down a little. “I’m still here, Sweetheart. I’m not going anywhere.” He tells you.

“Now, if we get you some paper, will you write down what you just told me, and we’ll give it to the officers to deal with?” he asks you. You sniffle and nod.

“Will you hold me a little longer, Rich? I’m really scared.” You say. “Innocent people are being hurt cuz he is after me. I don’t want anyone else hurt or lose their homes because of me.” You tell him.

“Honey, you have no control over what he does. It’s not your fault that any of this is happening. The blame lies squarely on your ex and his insanity. These are guerrilla tactics he is using to scare and intimidate you. He knows he can’t approach you directly cuz of the restraining order, so he is attacking those around you to get at you indirectly. Like in the game of chess.

What he doesn’t realize is that he is out matched and outnumbered. It’s a matter of time before he screws up and is caught.” He tells you. “And when he does, he will never be able to hurt you again.”

You nod and press against Richard’s chest, wishing you could just hide away somewhere with him till this is all over.

“Come on now, Love. Let’s put on our brave face and deal with this new development.” He says gently. “Graham, Scarlett, Aid and I are all here with you and so are four cops in the waiting room.” He tells you. “You aren’t in this alone.” He assures you.

You nod. “Ok. Rich. Just stay right with me please?” you ask. He lifts your hand and kisses it. “I will be right here by your side, Love.” He tells you.

You climb off his lap and he stands, takes your hand and leads you back into the larger waiting room. He leads you back to your seat and the officer with your phone comes over and squats down.

“Miss, the last call you received, do you recognize the number as belonging to anyone you know?” he asks as he pulls up your call log and shows you the phone number the call came from.

You frown. “Do you have it written down?” you ask him as you look up at him. He nods.

Taking the phone, you go into your contact list and pull up your ex’s information. You had put a note on his contact when he changed his phone number last time. You noted what the old number was just in case it ever got activated again. It was the old number!

You showed the officer the note on the contact information. He asked if he could take a photo of it with his phone to send to Alex. You nodded and he did so, then sent a photo of the call ledger.

“Miss, can you tell us what was said that upset you so much?” he asks.

You ask him for his notepad and pen. He hands them to you, and you write down: “My ex was the one who just called. He said, ‘ _I warned you to stay away from him (Richard) and you didn’t. Now your apartment is burned, as are your belongings, and your boss is dead, your lover and friends are next!’_ ”

You hand him the notepad and his eyes get huge when he reads it. You show him the restraining order and he grins.

“Well your ex just fucked up, Miss. That call and threat was a direct violation of the restraining order and now we can arrest him on sight. We have 6 witnesses who saw what happened and your reaction to it.” He tells you. “Will you sign your name and write the date and time down on this statement so I can send a picture of it to Alex?”

You nod and sign, date and time stamp the note. The officer takes a picture of it and sends it to Alex who immediately calls back and asks to talk to you.

“Harley?” Alex asks when you are handed the phone and say hello. “Yeah, Alex, it’s me.” You reply.

“Sweetheart, your old apartment was torched. The entire building is a total loss and displaced three families living there. Someone intentionally burned it to the ground, but your stuff is still safe at the precinct’s storage facility. The guards there have been warned what is going on and have extra patrols guarding it. Todd is still alive, very badly beaten, but he IS alive. It’ll be a month or more before he can work though. Ok?” he tells you.

“Ok. Alex.” You say sadly. “I’m SO sorry your brother got hurt. I feel terrible!” you apologize.

“Honey, it’s NOT your fault. Do not feel bad. Todd knew the risk when he hired you. He’s gonna be all right. You should’ve seen him when the semi hit him on the side of the highway last year when he pulled a guy over for a DUI! He was much worse off than he is now. He will recover and be as good as new! Now, I want you to do something for me okay?” he asks.

“What do you want me to do Alex?” you ask.

“Sweetheart, I want you, your friends and Richard to go and finish the training with Phantom right away, and I don’t want you leaving there until you have him with you. I talked to Mark already and he knows what is going on. He will be waiting for you to come and finish the training ASAP. He says Phantom has been whining for you all morning.” He tells you. “There isn’t anything more we can do for Todd right now, so go and take your friends and please go finish the training and keep Phantom right with you!” he says.

“All right Alex. I’ll go and do that.” You tell him.

“Good, Sweetheart. We’ll find your ex now that he has violated the restraining order and contacted you, it’s a matter of time before we catch him and lock him away.”

“Ok Alex, I’ll tell them.” You say.

“I gotta go now, Sweetheart, do as I instructed and be safe. I’ll be in touch, and keep your phone on you at all times, honey! I need to be able to reach right away until this is all over.” He reminds you.

“Ok, Alex. I will. Bye.” You say and hang up.

Rich was standing right next to you and heard everything. You look up at him worried and he nods. You hand the officer the phone back and thank him.

He nods and tells you to be safe and if there’s any changes with Todd, someone will be in touch. “I have your phone number now, and so does Alex. One of us will call you and keep you posted how Todd is doing.” He tells you. “Go now with your friends and do what Alex instructed, Sweetheart.” He tells you.

You nod and move over to Aiden and Scarlett. Richard pulls Graham over and you sit and tell them what all happened, and they get a scared look on their faces. They look up at Richard, who’s face is currently unreadable, Graham is looking pissed.

You tell them, “Alex ordered that we all go to Mark’s so I can finish my training with Phantom. We are not to leave there unless Phantom is with us. The police are looking for my ex now that he violated the restraining order, committed arson and shot Todd.” You tell them.

Aiden and Scarlett nod and stand, “Well then, let’s get going.” Aiden says. “Graham, you riding with us or with Harley or are you driving your jag?” He asks.

“I’ll go with Harley, you follow Rich’s car out to Mark’s.” he tells Aiden.


	14. Chapter 14

Everyone gathers their stuff and head out. Aiden, Scarlett and Graham are in front of you and Richard. An officer sees you heading for the door and escorts you all to your vehicles making sure there is nothing attached under them to track or explode. When he gives you all the ok to head out you wave and thank him. He nods and waves back.

You all are quiet on the trip out there. Rich pulls in and Mark is waiting in the yard with Phantom.

The moment the dog sees you in the window his tail starts wagging like an airplane propeller and he looks up and whines at Mark. “Just a minute, Phantom. She’s right there, now hush.” He tells the dog, who quiets.

Graham helps you out of the car and you head over to Mark. Phantom can tell you’re upset and looks up to Mark who signals ‘go’ and Phantom rushes over to you and is on his hind legs leaning on you, whining and licking your face and nuzzling you almost knocking you on your ass. Richard steadies you and you start to giggle and hug the big dog. His tail is whipping back and forth, and he keeps licking your face and hands.

Everyone chuckles and you finally say, “Ok Phantom, that’s enough.” and you signal to ‘stop’. He immediately stops and sits, waiting for you.

Mark grins, “Harley, why don’t you reintroduce him to Aiden and Scarlett to make sure he remembers them. It’s a good idea to do this with people he hasn’t seen in a bit or if they are new and haven’t been around him a lot.” Mark tells you.

You nod and bring Phantom over to Aiden, “Phantom do you remember Aiden? He’s my friend and is ok.” You say. Aiden holds his hand out and Phantom sniffs it and licks it. He gives him a “wuff” and rubs his head on Aiden’s hand, who starts to scratch his ear and Phantom’s foot starts thumping on the ground, making everyone smile.

Scarlett squats down and holds out her hand. “Do you remember me, Phantom?” She asks. The dog sniffs her hand and licks it and gives her a “Wuff” too. He rubs his head on her hand and she pets his head. “Good boy!” she tells him, and his tail starts wagging.

You look down at Phantom and give a sharp whistle to get his attention, he looks up and you motion ‘come’ he turns and follows right at your side as you walk over to Mark.

He grins and nods. He has you practice the other basic commands he taught you the day before then shows you the new ones. You practice them like you did before with the other commands, then you all head over to the field again.

Mark puts the practice service vest on Phantom, and you motion for the dog to ‘sit’ and ‘stay’. Phantom plops his butt down and looks at you, then up to Mark.

Mark teaches Aiden and Scarlett the basic hand signals and gives them and Richard all a sheet with all the commands the dog has been taught.

Aiden looks at the words, “Is this Khuzdul?!?!” he asks surprised.

Mark grins. “Yup, we are Tolkien fans here and since few know the language, it is better that way, so someone doesn’t accidently give him a command to attack or such...” He explains, “…and when the command IS given, the attacker won’t be alerted to what the command was for until it is too late.” He adds with a smirk.

He has you take off your jacket and give it to Richard. Mark covers Phantom’s eyes and tells you to go out in the field somewhere farther out and hide. You do so and make your way out into the field and about halfway out, you hide behind a large boulder and tuck yourself in, making yourself as small as you can.

Mark waits a few minutes for the scent to be blown away. He explains to your friends that they need to be able to command Phantom in case something happens to you and he gets loose or you send him to go find help.

He explains to them to find something you wore recently or sat on recently that has a fresh scent of you and then they are to hold it to his nose, tell him to ‘find Harley’ and give him the signal to ‘track’ then ‘go’. He tells them to keep Phantom on the leash otherwise he will take off and you won’t catch him.

Once he has explained everything, he has Richard go first. He hands your jacket and the leash to Richard, and nods.

Rich squats down to Phantom and says, “Phantom, find Harley.” And he holds out the jacket to the dog to sniff. Phantom buries his nose in it for a moment, getting your scent, then looks up at Richard who signals, ‘track’ and ‘go’.

Phantom “wuffs” then lifts his nose to the air and then down to the ground. He starts moving out into the field, Richard and Mark following. After sniffing the air and ground a few more times, he finds you and you praise him as you stand up.

Richard is grinning and pets Phantom. “Good Boy!” he tells the dog. Who sits and looks all smug that he found you, making Richard laugh.

Mark tells you to stay here and when they get back to your friends, that he’ll cover Phantom’s eyes again and then you are to find a different hiding spot elsewhere in the field. You nod and watch them head back.

Mark repeats this process with all your friends until they have all been trained to instruct Phantom to find you if you are separated from the dog.

Once everyone was trained in that, Mark tells you to come back. You do and he moves on to instructing everyone how to command the dog if you are being attacked by someone.

He tells you if that ever happens to drop Phantom’s leash immediately so he can attack if you command it. Mark goes and puts on the padded armor and then comes back. He has a rubber knife with him.

“Ok, I’m going to pretend to attack Harley, she is going to drop the leash and Richard, I want you to get Phantom’s attention, and give him either the verbal or the hand signal to ‘destroy’. Then when I tell you, give him the verbal command to ‘stop’. Richard nods. He looks at the sheet and remembers how to say the words, then nods again.

Mark moves behind you and tells you don’t move when someone gives the commands, that way you don’t get bit by accident. You nod. He moves in position behind you, and puts the rubber knife by your neck and wraps an arm around your front, holding your far wrist.

Mark nods to Richard and Mark tells you to drop the leash. You do and he starts to drag you backwards.

Richard says, “Phantom!” and says, “Hrestvog!” in a commanding tone and the dog instantly turns to Mark and raises his heckles and growls and charges him. The dog jumps and grabs his arm with the knife and pulls it away from your neck.

Once Phantom gets Mark down on the ground, he nods to Richard and Richard says, “Phantom, Etzil!” and Phantom immediately stops and goes to sit by Richard’s feet.

You, Aiden, Mark & Graham grin hearing Richard speak the Khuzdul using his “Thorin” voice & tone.

Mark tells you that as soon as Phantom gets the attacker away from you, then you can move and get away from the attacker safely. You nod.

He repeats the exercise with each of your friends, though Scarlett struggled with the pronunciation. Aiden giggled and helped her with it till she could say it correctly.

Next Mark showed you all what to do if someone attacks from the front with a knife or gun. Mark went to the shed and switched the rubber knife for a rubber gun, then came back. He tells you that if this happens, to release Phantom and anyone who knows the commands can get his attention and tell him the command to ‘destory’.

They all nod. He says, “Ok, Harley, drop the leash. He holds up the gun and stands in a threatening pose.

Richard looks at Mark and Mark nods. “Phantom,” he says, “Hrestvog!”

Phantom immediately attacks without warning and knocks Mark over on his back and is going at his arm holding the gun, keeping the gun both away from you and also away from his own body.

Once he gets Mark to let go of the gun, Mark nods to Rich and Richard says, “Etzil!” and Phantom stops immediately.

Mark gets up and nods.

You call Phantom back and praise him. Mark nods and repeats the process with each person calling the commands.

Once everyone has had a chance to practice this technique, Mark repeats the processes with you all just using the hand gesture for ‘destroy’.

Then Mark shows you what to do if you’re alone and are attacked. Once all the training for that is done, he takes off the padded gear and puts it into the shed.

Next, he explains what to do if you are ever severely injured, for example a terrorist attack or car accident or something where you are not able to give commands, but they are.

He has you lay down in the grass on a large piece of cardboard to protect your clothes and pretend to be injured.

He explains that if they tell Phantom to be a shield, he will either stand over your torso or will lay on it, depending on your injury. He will act as your shield and take any damage or will attack if he feels someone might threaten you unless they know the word for ‘stop’.

Mark explains, that if they tell Phantom to ‘Guard’ you, it is to be used if someone is, for example, trying to rob someplace you’re in or there’s an armed gunman in a building with you, like what happened at the coffee shop this morning, Or something along those lines.

He tells them Phantom will attack if they command it otherwise, he will just act menacing and try to scare off the predator. He also explains you can use it if you want him to protect something like the safe or your purse or backpack. Anything you find important that you may need to leave unattended for a while.

They nod.

He tells them to practice these commands now. They each take turns telling Phantom to ‘shield’ you and to ‘guard’ you.

Mark explains that with any of these commands, Phantom will not allow anyone outside his ‘pack’ or a uniformed officer, paramedic or firefighter, near you or the object he was told to protect/guard, unless they know the command for ‘stop’. He tells you all the emergency first responders in this area are all trained to know the word for ‘stop’ if they see a dog performing these actions.

He recommends you keep a copy of the cheat sheet in Phantom’s vest and one on your persons or in your purse / bag in case something happens to you and Phantom comes to someone trying to get you help, they will find the sheet in his vest and be able to give him the proper commands.

You nod.

Mark instructs everyone on the phrase ‘Gauhnith Goroth’ which means ‘safe/good place’ and tells them that this command instructs Phantom to take you someplace he deems safe.

He tells them it is used when you are injured and can be moved safely. Mark tells them Phantom will grab whatever he can on you and will do his best to drag you away from harm.

Mark has you lie down in the grass on a piece of cardboard, again and then says, “Phantom, Gauhnith Goroth!” and the dog comes over to you and gently grabs the collar of your jacket near your neck, and starts to tug you across the grass. Mark says, “Etzil!” and Phantom stops and lets go of your jacket.

You sit up and tell him, “Good Boy, Phantom!” and he gets the smug look again on his face.

Mark leads everyone back to the barn after he takes off the practice vest from Phantom. He tells you to practice the non-attack commands often with Phantom to help you both to remember the commands.

He tells you that you are all welcome to come out with the dog to practice the attack commands any time and that the padding is found in the shed.

You all nod and he hands you Phantom’s official vest with his name on it and all the patches indicating what he is trained for. A copy of the cheat sheet, Phantom’s official service dog paperwork and Mark’s card are all in a see-through pouch on Phantom’s vest. He suggests you put the papers in a plastic zipper baggie when you get home then put them back in the vest.

He apologizes, “My daughter used the last one the other day and forgot to tell us we needed more, otherwise I would have put them in one.” He tells you.

You chuckle and tell him that it’s ok. He gives you a piece of paper with the vet they use as well as the list of food, heartworm meds, and flea/tick meds he uses and when they were last given to Phantom.

He asks if you have any other questions and no one does so he gives you the leash and tells you, “Phantom is all yours now, Harley. Good luck with the problems with the ex. And come visit anytime.”

You grin and squat down to Phantom. “Should we go home now, boy?” you ask him. His tail starts thumping and he gives you a “Woof”. Everyone grins and you thank Mark again for all the training. He smiles and waves as you all head to the cars with Phantom.

“Now what are we gonna do?” Aiden asks. You all shrug.

Graham thinks for a moment, “Aid, can ya give me a lift back to the hospital so I can get my Jag and meet you guys somewhere?”

“We’ll meet you at Aiden’s apartment, Sweetie.” Scarlett tells you. Everyone gives you a hug. Graham hugs you a little longer than the others. “Be safe, Sweetheart.” He whispers to you and kisses the top of your head. You nod and tell him, “You too, Pops. Thanks for getting me Phantom!” Which makes him smile.


	15. Chapter 15

You watch Graham get in the car with Aiden and Scarlett, wishing you hadn’t put all their lives in such danger. You feel bad upending their lives like this. You feel Richard come up behind you and wrap you in a hug. “You ready to go, Love?” he asks.

You sigh and nod. Phantom nuzzles your hand and you pet his head. You open the door and signal, ‘up’ and he jumps in the back seat and lays down. You close the door and Richard helps you into the car, then gets in the driver’s seat.

He starts the car and looks over at you. He could tell you were worried. You were quiet all the way back to his place. “You ok, Love?” he asks as he drives.

“I just feel guilty for putting everyone’s life in danger. You tell him. “I didn’t think he’d go _this_ far in his attacks at me…Todd is shot and badly beaten, my old apartment burned and my old neighbors lost all their belongings and their homes, and now all my friends’ lives and homes are being threatened. It’s just too much for me… it’s not fair to all of you.” You reply quietly.

Rich reaches over and takes your hand. “Honey, we’re not mad at you about this. It’s not your fault, ok?” he tells you. “As celebrities, we get stalker issues quite often. Our publicists and agents know what to do in these situations. When we get back to Aiden’s apartment, I will call them and I’m sure Graham and Aiden will call theirs too. We’ll all get together and figure out what is our best option.” He tells you.

“Ok.” You reply quietly. He raises your hand to his lips and kisses it. “We’ll be fine. Try not to worry too much, Sweetheart.” You nod.

“Now, I got a bunch of food at the house, how about we stop, pick some of it up and take it to Aiden’s and hang out there for a while?” he says.

Phantom sticks his head between your seats and whines quietly. Richard grins, and pets his head. You turn in your seat and pet Phantom’s head as Richard pulls up to the block he lives on. He immediately slows down and hums worriedly; you both see a shady looking person hanging out near his house.

You pull out your phone and snap photos of him. You text them to Alex. And tell him you just arrived at Richard’s home, and this guy is loitering outside the house like the one outside the coffee shop. He immediately texts back to leave the area and not go near the house. He asks for the address and Richard tells it to you and you text it to Alex.

Alex tells you he is a few blocks away and will be there shortly. Richard drives a few blocks away and parks. You wait to hear from Alex and text his contact info to Graham and warn him to be on the lookout for shady looking people near his place, that you both just found one in front of Rich’s place.

You send him Alex’s contact info and tell him to take a photo of the person and send it to Alex with his address if he sees anyone loitering that shouldn’t be there and to not approach them.

He replies back, that he will go check and let you know. A few minutes later he texts you a picture of one outside his place, and replies, “Had one at my place too. I’m heading to Aiden’s, meet me there.”

You tell Richard and he growls. He gives you Graham’s address when you ask him for it and you text Alex that there is one at Graham’s place too and send him the address and photo as well as Graham’s cell number.

Alex replies that he’s sending an officer to Graham’s place too.

You suddenly remember that Martin and Amanda were with you at the bar the night you were spotted. “Oh God! We forgot to tell Martin and Amanda! They were at the bar the night I was spotted with you!” you tell Richard.

His eyes go wide, and he immediately calls them. He explains what is going on and Martin is not happy, but tells you that they haven’t seen anyone strange around their place, but he’ll notify their gate guard.

You hold out your phone with Alex’s name and phone number and tell Rich to give it to Martin in case someone shows up. He does, apologizes profusely to them and Martin thanks him for the info.

Rich hangs up and sees you’re upset. Phantom is licking your arm and trying to comfort you.

The two of you head to the Studio so Rich can get some stuff from his trailer and let his Director know what is going on, and how to reach him. The guard tells you there was a couple of guys loitering, earlier, but they were told to leave, or the police would be called. You pulled up the photos Graham sent you and the one you took, Richard showed them to the gate guard.

He nodded, “Yup that one there was one of the guys. The other one looked like the guy from the picture we were shown the other day.” He tells Richard.

Richard hands you your phone and informs the guard on the threat your Ex made to you, about Graham, Aiden, Scarlett and Himself, and the attack on Todd and the fire at your old apartment. “Keep an eye out for any suspicious activity especially around the perimeters.” He tells the guard.

“Sure thing, Rich.” He replies, then lets you two in.

Rich parks the car and asks if you want to come with or if you just want to wait in the courtyard outside. You tell him you’ll wait outside with Phantom and practice his signals with him. Rich nods and tells you he will be back shortly.

You and Phantom wander around outside for a bit and talk with the gate guard. You introduce him to Phantom and the two immediately like each other. You visit for a bit more then Phantom whines and starts to dance and look around for a grassy area.

You look at him funny and the guard chuckles and points over to the grassy area by the corner of the lot. “I bet he needs to do his business.” The guard says. He hands you a plastic bag leftover from lunch. “Here, better get goin’ with him.” The guard tells you.

You thank him and head over there with Phantom. He runs over to a grassy area and pees and then poos. You groan and put the bag over your hand and say, “ew, ew, ew, ew, ew” as you pick up the poo and quickly tie the bag shut. You look around for a trash can and spot one, so you head over to it with Phantom and you toss the bag in it.

You look around and then down at the dog. “Feel better, boy?” you ask as you squat down and smush his face in your hands. He wuffs and tries to lick your face.

“Nice dog!” you hear someone say and glance up. You don’t recognize the person and are immediately on guard. Phantom senses your change and moves between you and the person.

“Uh, thanks.” You reply standing back up. He comes walking closer to you and you hear Phantom start to growl and you see his heckles start to go up. The dog truly looks menacing with his white fangs showing against his glossy black fur around his snout.

“Um, sir. I suggest you stop approaching and back up. My dog isn’t really happy with you.” You tell him.

He stops for a moment, “What’s wrong with your dog? I just want to say hi to a pretty woman!” he says and starts to approach again.

“Sir you need to stop. Really, my dog doesn’t like you and I don’t want any problems here. Please just stop and leave us be.”

“Aw, come on honey, just give me a chance. I’m not gonna hurt you… just a little kiss or something would be nice.” He says as he continues to advance, and Phantom continues to growl and keeps looking back at you as you give him the silent command to ‘back up’ and start to back up with him.

“Sir, LEAVE! Your advances are unwanted and are NOT appreciated! Now if you do not leave me and my dog alone, he will attack and I will be not held liable since you have been warned twice now to stop approaching me!” you holler, thoroughly pissed now and have your hands on your hips.

He stops and leers at you. “What are you gonna do, sic your dog on me?” he asks.

Suddenly you hear from behind you. “If she has to.” And you turn and see, Richard looking pissed with his arms folded across his chest. He has his head tilted slightly down and he is glaring at the young man from under his eyebrows.

He looks almost as menacing as Phantom.

You look back at the man who is glaring at you, Rich and Phantom. “Why? All I wanted was to say Hi to this pretty woman and ask her out.” The young man cockily replies, folding his arms to match Richard’s stance, almost in a challenge.

You hear both Richard and Phantom growl. Richard comes up next to you, wraps his arm around you protectively and bellows, “She is MY girlfriend and you WILL do as SHE says and you WILL leave both her and the dog alone! If you do not, SHE WILL sick the dog on you!”

The young man flinches when he realizes who Richard is and that you’re Richard’s girl. He nods and mumbles an apology and leaves for the studio where they are filming one of the new movies.

You drop down and Phantom comes back to you. “Good boy!!!!” you say and smush his face and pet him. He sits there with a smug look on his face and his tail is thumping.

Richard asks if you’re ok and what happened. You explain what happened after he left and what all you told the young man and what he said.

Richard growls. “Stay here, I’ll be right back.” He tells you and kisses your forehead.

He walks over to the Gate guard, talks with him for a moment, then walks over to the studio door where the young man went in. He disappears into the building, then comes back out a few minutes later, followed by the director, and two guards escorting the young man to his car and making sure he leaves the property immediately.

Richard comes back and is talking on the phone then hangs up.

He introduces you to the new director who is directing the production that Aiden is in, and the man apologizes profusely for the incident that just happened. “That guy was one of the new stagehands for my production. I just informed the Producer what the gate guard saw, and I fired the stagehand. He’s been escorted off the premises and will not be returning. I will not tolerate that kind of behavior on or off set. I apologize for his treatment of you and hope you will come visit the set anytime you like.” He informs you.

You thank him and tell him you will come visit sometime. He nods, shakes Rich’s hand and heads back on set to resume filming.

Richard turns to you and the two of you head back to his car. He tosses his bag of stuff into the trunk and helps you and Phantom into the car.

The two of you head to Aiden’s and Richard parks in front of the building and gets out of the car. He comes around and opens the door for Phantom, lets him out, then opens your door. He reaches out and helps you out of the car and hands you Phantom’s leash, which you just tuck the end into your pocket.

Richard shuts the door to the car, then you both hear Phantom start to growl and look over at him. You see he is putting himself between you and a man who is walking towards you quickly. You turn to head for the apartment building, when you see your ex standing in the walkway, grinning evilly.

You cower into Richard’s arms as he protectively wraps them around you and backs the two of you towards the car. Phantom is growling and keeping himself between you and the first man. You look at Richard. He is clearly pissed and is trying to figure out what to do.

The man who was approaching you is getting closer and pulls out a knife, You tug Phantom’s leash and he looks up at you. You signal him to “guard”. He begins to growl and snarl and act as menacing as he can.

Richard tells the advancing man to leave the two of you alone or he will order the dog to attack.

Your ex growls and replies, “You do that, I’ll shoot the dog then your bitch.” He says pulling out a gun and pointing it at you.

“Phantom!” Richard says, “Hrestvog!” and signals the dog to destroy pointing at your ex. The dog sees the gun, and without warning jumps your ex grabbing his arm with the gun. Unfortunately, he isn’t fast enough and your ex fires as Phantom pulls his arm down.

Richard feels you take the hit and you cry out and collapse in his arms. “NO!!!!” Rich exclaims and looks up to see the other man still advancing. Richard growls, lowers you to the sidewalk, and stands protectively over you.

You look over when you hear your ex screaming and howling at Phantom to let go of his arm. The dog is shaking the arm and banging Ben’s arm on the ground trying to get him to drop the gun. When he does, Phantom starts to drag him away from it.

The man with the knife sees his friend being attacked and makes a run to attack Phantom, but Rich sees his intention and goes to tackle him from behind. They wrestle and Rich knocks the knife out of the guy’s hands and puts his fist into the guy’s face a few times when the guy turns to see who tackled him. Rich knocks the guy out, kicks the knife over by the gun and motions for Phantom to ‘hold’ Ben.

Phantom keeps Ben pinned and still keeps his mangled arm in his mouth in case he starts to struggle again.

Rich runs back over to you and checks to see how badly you’re hurt. You took a hit to the left, upper leg and he takes off his shirt and wraps it tightly around the wound, then calls 911 and reports what happened, telling the dispatch to get Officer Alex Sand here immediately along with an ambulance.

He holds you and tells you he is so sorry, and you assure him you’ll be all right. You ask him to call Graham, Scarlett and Aiden to tell them what happened. “They probably went in the back entrance, and Graham must not have been approached when he came into the front entrance.” You explain.

Rich calls Graham and tells him what happened, they are all down to the entrance in a flash.

They find Rich sitting on the ground, leaning against the front wheel of his car, cradling you in his lap with a tearstained face and red rimmed eyes. His shirt wrapped around your leg & a bullet hole in the door on your side of the car.

Phantom is sitting on your Ex growling with his mangled arm still in the dog’s mouth, and the other man is just starting to come to.

Graham takes one look around, gets pissed and sees the man coming to and takes a swing at the man and knocks him out again with a smug grin. Scarlett comes running over to you and Rich and looks worriedly at you both. “You both ok?” she asks.

Rich shakes his head. “She took a bullet to the leg as Phantom tried to take her ex down. He had the gun originally pointed at her chest.” He explains.

Aiden stands there in shock and keeps an eye on Ben & Phantom, while Graham stands over the second man who is unconscious. Both Aiden and Graham are looking at you and Rich with worried expressions.

Alex arrives moments later along with an ambulance. He comes running over to you and Rich and asks what happened. Rich explains and tells him it would’ve been much worse had it not been for Phantom protecting you both.

“He alerted us to their approach. I was helping Harley out of the car and had just shut the door when Phantom began to growl, alerting us that someone undesirable was coming too close.

The man over there by Graham, approached us threatening us with a knife, was warned to stop or we’d sick Phantom on him, and her ex appears with the gun pointed at her and he said he would shoot the dog then Harley if we ordered the dog to attack the man.

I got Phantom’s attention, and told him to ‘attack’ the one with the gun, and he did so. He just wasn’t fast enough to get the gun out of the way and the ex was able to fire off a shot at us, hitting Harley in the leg.” Rich explains. “The bullet went clean through her leg and it’s in the door of the car, I believe.” Rich tells Alex.

“When the guy saw Phantom take down Harley’s ex, he went to attack Phantom. I tackled the guy and knocked him out so he couldn’t hurt the dog. He was just coming to when Graham, Aiden and Scarlett showed up. Graham knocked him out again and has been standing guard till you showed up.”

Alex nods and looks down at you. “You all right, Sweetheart?”

You shrug. “Just scared and my leg hurts from the gunshot.” You reply. “Is Phantom ok?” you ask. Alex looks over at the dog. He chuckles, “Well, Sweetheart, he did exactly what he was trained to do. He is currently sitting on your attacker and has his mangled arm still in his mouth.” He tells you. You grin.

The paramedics come over and Alex moves to take care of the two attackers. He radios for back up to help with crowd control as there are people starting to gather around wondering what happened.

Alex cuffs the unconscious man, then comes up to Phantom and tells him, “Etzil!” and the dog lets go of the arm, making Ben cry out as it drops to the ground.

Phantom goes to Alex who pets him and tells him, “Good Boy! And gives him a few treats. Then he motions to “go” and the dog trots over to you and Richard. He sits next to Rich looking all smug and proud of himself, and watches the paramedics treating you, whining softly.

Richard reaches over and pets him, telling him he was a good boy and that you’d be all right. A paramedic comes over and cleans off Phantom’s snout from the blood on it and checks him to make sure there are no injuries to the dog.

Alex cuffs Ben and has a paramedic treat Ben’s shredded arm. “Your arm wouldn’t have been shredded as bad if you wouldn’t have tried to fight him off, ya numbskull. That’s a police trained Guard dog! What were you thinking?!?” he tells Ben, who just grumbles, “Stupid dog!”

Aiden and Graham come over and stand near Scarlett and watch as you’re loaded onto a gurney and put into the ambulance. Rich tosses Graham his keys, “Follow in my car and come up to the hospital.”

Graham nods and catches the keys. Rich gets in the ambulance and someone helps Phantom up into it. He is whining and rests his nose on the bed’s edge, licking your fingers. “Good Boy, Phantom, You’re a good boy!” you tell him.

The ambulance takes you to the nearest hospital, the same one that Todd is in, and you’re immediately admitted and sent to surgery to repair the bullet wound.

Richard and Phantom are shown to a waiting room nearby and Graham, Aiden & Scarlett join them.

“Couldn’t take the car, Rich, the cops have it impounded right now as part of the evidence since it took the bullet after it went through Harley’s leg. They let me go through it and grab anything you might need though. I grabbed the duffel from the trunk and your cell charger. Here.” He tells Rich, handing him the bag. “They say they’ll let you know when you can have the car back.” Graham informs Rich.

Rich growls. “Great!” and rubs his face. He digs in the duffel and pulls out a t-shirt and puts it on, since he had taken off his other shirt to wrap around your leg.

Alex came in a half hour later and told everyone that they got your ex and his cronies booked and charged. Your ex will be charged with stalking, three accounts of attempted murder, arson, as well as breaking the restraining order multiple times and threatening yours and Rich’s life. “He won’t be getting out anytime soon, if ever.” He tells them.

Rich asks how long they will keep his car as evidence. Alex shrugs. “That’s up to the City prosecutor. Could be you might not get it back till the last case is finished being tried. I’m not sure. It’ll be a while though.”

Richard groans and stands to go call his insurance company to see about what his options are. After they talk for a few minutes and let him know what to do, he comes back and plops back down into his chair and is grumpy.

An hour after you went in for surgery, you were wheeled to the recovery room for a half hour of observations.

The doctor came and sat down with everyone and explained that the bullet just missed your main artery in your thigh. He tells them you have to be in the hospital for a week to make sure the wound doesn’t become infected and that there are no complications, and that it heals properly.

Richard asks what kind of complications can arise from an infected bullet wound. The doctor fills them in and Richard frowns.

The Doctor tells everyone you are in the recovery room currently, and that you’ll be brought to a room within the next half hour to an hour or so if everything goes well.

They all thank him, and he heads out.

Alex sighs and tells everyone, “The restraining order is in place for 10 days from the date Harley received it, and that normally Harley would need to show up in court to talk with the judge on the date indicated in the order.

He tells Richard to read through it if he hasn’t already. He explains how this would normally work, and how it will work now that you have been attacked by Ben and injured / hospitalized because of it.

He explains he will have to contact the courts to let them know what happened and that you will not be able to appear for the first hearing because of the attack and being hospitalized. He says He will see if the judge is willing to do a video call with Harley so she can explain what has happened and share her story with the judge and answer his questions from the hospital. Alex explains, “Harley’s ex will not be present for this first hearing.”

Alex mentions to Richard that there will be a second hearing where both parties will be present, and that date should also be indicated in the order. “We may have to see if the Judge will allow Harley to be present via Video call since she most likely will still be in the hospital recovering.”

He suggests to Richard that it would be a good idea now to hire an attorney and have them present at both hearings.

He tells Richard that at the end of this second hearing the Judge will rule whether to make this restraining order permanent or a temporary one that lasts a certain amount of time. It will also clarify what conditions it will cover.

Alex also tells Richard that you all can file criminal charges against her ex since he was stalking, harassing and making threats against both you and your friends.

They all tell him they wish to press charges and want to see the book thrown at this creep.

Graham asks that they do not give this creep any deals nor any plea bargains. Alex nods. “I will let the prosecuting attorney know that is all of your wishes” seeing everyone nodding in agreement.

They thank him and Alex stands. “I’m sorry we couldn’t catch these assholes sooner, Rich. We’ve been trying to find him all day, but he had been bouncing all over town and not staying in one place long enough to catch him.” He apologizes.

Rich puts a hand on Alex’s shoulder. “You have him now, that is what matters. Harley will recover and she still has Phantom to protect her.” He replies. “Thank you for doing what all you did and for responding so quickly.”

Alex nods. “Keep me posted on how she is doing. UGH!!! Todd is gonna be pissed with me!” he says running his hand through his hair. “I told him I’d keep her safe.” He said.

Richard smiles, “You did, Alex. You had no way of knowing this was going to happen. None of us did. We all did the best we could to keep her safe. Luckily the bullet didn’t hit anything critical and that it’s something she will heal from just fine.” He says and pats Alex on the back.

“Go on now and do what you need to do. We’ll keep you posted on how she is.” Rich tells Alex.

Alex nods. “Thanks, Rich.” He says and shakes Richard’s hand. “See you all later.” He replies and heads out.

A few minutes later Rich sees you in a gurney being wheeled down the hallway. You’re asleep and have an oxygen mask on and iv’s in a port on your chest. A nurse pauses at the door of the waiting room and tells you all to follow her.

Everyone does and she leads them to your room. She has everyone wait outside of the room for a few moments while they transfer you into your bed and get you situated.

Once you are transferred to your room and made comfortable, the nurse allows everyone into the room. She tells them that you will be kept sedated for the first few hours and will be gradually weaned off the sedation.

They all hang out quietly in your room, talking. Richard, sitting by your bed and holding your hand. Phantom is allowed to be on your bed and lays at your feet, occasionally whining quietly.

Aiden and Graham pet him telling him you’ll be ok.

Graham can tell Richard feels terrible you got hurt. After Aiden and Scarlett leave to go get you some flowers and a balloon, he comes over and pulls up a chair next to Rich.

“Ye ok, Rich?” he asks, putting a hand on his friend’s shoulder.

Rich sighs, “We had stopped at the Studio before we went to Aiden’s and Harley stayed in the Courtyard with Phantom while I ran in and talked to our Director to let him know what was going on and then ran to my trailer to grab some stuff I had forgotten.

When I came out to Harley, a new stagehand for the film Aiden is in was harassing Harley and Phantom was having none of it. Had I not shown up, she would’ve had to sic Phantom on that guy too! Twice, in less than an hour, Graham! Twice Phantom protected her!

I thought I was gonna loose her today, Graham. Seeing both of those guys in front of Aiden’s building, moving to attack at the same time, was frightening. I had nothing to defend us with, and Phantom could only take out one of them.

I knew her ex was more of a threat than the guy with the knife and that’s why I told him to go after the ex. I just didn’t expect the ex to fire the gun as Phantom attacked.” He says quietly.

“I felt her take the hit. She cried out and just crumpled in my arms. I had no idea where she had been hit till I saw her leg bleeding. Still can’t figure out how he hit her leg and didn’t hit me!

Luckily for us, Phantom attacking the Ex was enough to get the second guy to move away from us and I could tackle him from behind and take him and wrestle him down to the ground and knock him out with a few hits, and was able to disarm him. But God, Graham! For a few moments, I wasn’t sure we were gonna make it out of there alive!” he says shakily.

Graham nods. “Well, Rich, ye did and she’s gonna heal just fine. She is alive and so are ye!” he tells him. Rich nods.

“Rich, we need to get Phantom’s supplies. We have no food for him, or way to give him water. He needs to be brushed every day, or his fur will start to mat up, and we’ll need those baggies to pick up his business when he goes outside.” Graham reminds him.

“Take Phantom with you and see if Lee will meet you to get the stuff. I don’t want to leave Harley alone. She’s gonna be afraid enough as it is waking up in pain and in a hospital after this attack.” Rich tells him.

Graham nods. “Ok, Rich, we’ll be back in a while.” He tells him.

Rich nods and thanks him.

“Come on Phantom, let’s go get ye some food!” he says as he grabs the leash and signals ‘come’. The dog looks longingly at Harley and then up at Graham. He whines and looks back at Harley.

Rich chuckles, “Go on, boy, I’ll stay with her, you go with Graham.” He says and pets the dog.

Graham signals, ‘come’ again and Phantom, grudgingly jumps down and whines as Graham leaves with the dog.


	16. Chapter 16

Graham calls Lee and they agree to meet at the nearest pet store. Graham gets out of his Jaguar and opens the door for Phantom and signs ‘come’. Phantom hops down with the leash in his mouth. Graham chuckles and grins, then pulls out his phone and snaps a picture. “I guess he’s taking himself for a walk?” he texts Richard and your phones.

Graham signals to Phantom to ‘come’ and begins to walk to the doors of the pet store. Phantom stays right by Graham’s side, carrying his leash in his mouth. He stops when Graham does, to let cars pass and then follows him into the store. Graham leans down just inside the store and signals for him to ‘drop’ the leash and he does.

Graham stoops down to pick it up and tucks it into his pants pocket, knowing he will follow and not run off.

Lee is standing by the aviary display watching the bids near the entrance. He sees Graham walk in and smiles at him. “Ahhh! Graham! How are you? Recovered from that wonderful party Rich had?” He teases.

Graham grins and nods. “Yes, I’ve recovered. Lee this is Harley’s new service dog; his name is Phantom. If ya’d like to meet him, hold out yer hand like this so he can smell it.” Graham instructs him.

He holds out his hand and Graham tells the dog, “Phantom, this is our friend Lee. He’s ok to be around us.” Phantom stands and sniffs Lee’s hand and gives it a lick and puts his head under Lee’s hand.

“He’s telling ya that ya can pet him now.” Graham informs Lee.

Lee grins and gives the fluffy dog a good scratching along his collar. “Wuff!” Phantom says to him and Lee grins.

He stands back up and chuckles. “He looks like a huge, black, fluffy wolf.” he states.

Graham grins. “Yup. So far according to Richard, he’s only met three people he didn’t like, and he let the guys know it in no uncertain terms. Ye should see him when he’s pissed and his heckles are raised!” Graham chuckles.

Harley would’ve had to sic Phantom on the one guy since he was pressing his luck and wasn’t listening to her warnings. And a while ago Rich had to sic the dog on Harley’s ex when he attacked them outside Aiden’s apartment. Her ex managed to still fire off a round, which hit Harley in the leg, but both Rich and Harley will be fine. They’re at the hospital now. Harley just came out of surgery to get the bullet wound fixed. She’ll be there for about a week or so.”

Lee raises his dark eyebrow and looks at Graham surprised. Graham nods.

“Well, I’m glad they have Phantom to protect her now. How’s the situation going with her ex?

“Well, he’s violated the restraining order multiple times now, threatened Harley, me and the guys, torched her old apartment which displaced three families, and shot her boss; putting him out of commission for a month and a half, attacked Rich and Harley at the apartment and shot Harley in the leg when Phantom tried to disarm him…so her ex is in some pretty hot water and has a LOT of pissed off people ready to pound him into the ground.

The cops have him and his lackeys in custody at the moment and I’m hoping they don’t let him out anytime soon.” Graham replies matter of factly. “Oh, and he resisted arrest the first time they got him, and he injured some of the officers.”

Lee looks at Graham wide-eyed

Graham replies, “Yup, that about sums it up.” And then starts walking to grab a shopping cart.

Lee just shakes his head. “Where does Miss Harley work?” he asks.

Graham grins. “There’s a used bookstore and coffee shop near the studio. It’s called ‘Evermore Coffee & Books’.

It’s owned by a retired cop, Todd, and she works for him there. He is the twin brother to the officer who is handling her case.” He tells Lee. “Though, she’s now out of work till he gets well enough to open the shop back up. And till she recovers; she won’t be going too many places either” Graham replies.

“I’m sorry to hear about Harley and her boss. Hopefully they both will be back on their feet and able to open the shop soon.” Lee replies as the two men start to head through the store. “I might have to stop in there and check it out once it’s re-opened.” He muses.

Lee asks Graham how you met Rich and Graham tells him that Rich literally bumped into you on the dance floor at the Squawking Raven and then he introduced him to you later that night.

Lee chuckled. “Leave it to you to play matchmaker. How do you know her?” he asks.

Graham giggles. “I literally ran into her and nearly knocked her off her feet that morning when she and her friend Scarlett were walking to a store to look at jackets to go with her new wardrobe. They had just left one store and were talking as they walked; I was messing around on my phone, not watching where I was going, and plowed into her. If I wouldn’t have reacted as quick as I did, she would’ve been landing on her ass pretty hard.” he told Lee.

“I hung out outside and was talking to Aiden and Martin on my phone while the girls shopped at various stores. One of them I had a clear shot view to the fitting area; and well, she gave me a mini fashion show as she showed her best friend what the different outfits she picked out looked like on her.” Graham informs Lee with a huge grin.

“Scarlett said it’s tradition when they shop that when they try on an outfit, they do a catwalk and twirl in it as if they were on a fashion show runway. I spotted them and stayed to enjoy the show.” He laughs.

Lee looks at Graham surprised. “Really? So that was why Richard said you were raving about her. He mentioned you saw this beautiful woman and she literally took your breath away.” Lee laughs. “He didn’t say anything about you almost knocking her on her ass tho!” he chuckles. “He kept saying you told him she was a spunky little thing and sassy and that you kept teasing him that he’d get along great with her.” Lee tells Graham.

Graham grins and nods and stops at the dog food and texts Rich to look at the sheet in Harley’s bag to see which one Mark had recommended. Rich digs out the paperwork and texts Graham what it is, and he grabs two bags and tosses them under the cart.

Then they move to the aisle with the flea/tick and heartworm meds and grab them as well.

Lee goes to look at the grooming stuff for dogs and then looks at Phantom. He asks Graham if he has any idea what to get for a dog like Phantom. Graham shakes his head and Lee spots an employee. He calls the employee over and asks her if she knows what to get for a dog like Phantom. She looks at the dog and asks if she can pet him to see what kind of fur he has.

Graham goes through the process of introducing her to Phantom and he accepts her as being ok.

She lifts up his vest and examines his thick fur around his heckles. She nods and goes over to the de-shedding comb/brush and explains that this would be best for him since he has such a thick coat and undercoat.

She asks what kind of breed he is, and Graham tells her he is a mix of two Belgian breeds, one being a sheepdog. She goes over to their book section at the end of the aisle and grabs two books. “Are these the two breeds?” she asks. Graham looks at them and nods. “Yup. I can never remember how to say the one starting with the T.”

She suggests they get the two books. “They will help you understand the natures of the dogs he is bred from and will give you suggestions on how to care for him properly.” She tells Graham.

He thanks her and explains they are shopping for a friend who is in the hospital and that the dog is hers. She nods and puts the books in the shopping cart.

The girl chuckles, “Come on, I’ll show you what all you’ll need then. I’ve had dogs all my life.” She tells Lee and Graham. They nod and Graham signals Phantom to ‘come’ and he follows.

Lee and Graham walk behind the employee and visit while the female employee helps them shop for the stuff you’ll need.

Graham lets Phantom pick out some toys; the dog takes his time looking at the options, sniffing them, pawing at them, and picking them up and giving an experimental chew. He settles on a ball, a squeaky mallard duck, a huge rope with knots on the end and a big rawhide bone.

The clerk shows them the different options for bowls and recommends the ceramic or metal ones. She says they never had luck with the plastic ones and the dogs always got acne on their chins from them cuz of the static and dust clinging to the plastic.

Lee picks a stand that holds the water and the food bowls up off the floor and has metal bowls. She shows Graham a neat silicone collapsible bowl and bottle you can keep in your bag for Phantom when you are away from the apartment. She tells him that you can use the bowl for both water and food. He likes the idea and tosses them in the cart too. She suggests that since he is a service dog, that you keep a large zip baggie of his food with you at all times since he goes with you everywhere. Graham nods and tells her he will tell you what she recommended.

Lee grabs one of those clip-on baggie dispensers for the leash and a refill pack of the baggies; then Graham lets Phantom pick out a bag of treats.

The female employee recommends a toothbrush and toothpaste and shows the two men how they work.

Phantom seems to like it and lets her brush his teeth, smacking his lips once she got done, making Lee chuckle. “must taste good?” he asks.

The clerk laughs, it’s a meat flavor, most dogs absolutely love it. Graham tosses a pack in and the clerk says that’s about all you’ll need. She says some people get their dogs special ‘pet beds’ but she says a good, thick blanket or even a big throw pillow works just as well.

Graham shrugs. Lee laughs, “Well let’s go see what they got here. Maybe we’ll find something he’ll like.” He suggests.

“Ok.” Graham says, and the clerk shows them where they are. Lee looks at all the different ones and ask the clerk which one most dogs like. She pulls down three different ones.

Graham squats down and asks Phantom, “Want yer own bed, or are ye gonna end up on Harley’s bed snuggling with her?” Phantom looks at the dog beds and then back at Graham. “It’s ok, boy, go check them out and see what ye think.” he tells him.

He sniffs them and hesitantly steps in each one and walks around in them. He doesn’t seem too impressed and comes back over to Graham and looks at him confused.

Lee chuckles, “No, don’t like those?” he asks. The clerk chuckles and puts them back on the shelf. Then she pulls down a fluffy grey one and plops it on the floor.

Phantom looks at Graham, who tells him to go try it. He walks over, sniffs it and walks around it then hesitantly steps on in and ‘woofs’ and flops down on it and starts to roll around.

Graham and Lee are cracking up laughing and so is the clerk. Lee and Graham are grinning and enjoying the dog’s antics.

Lee chuckles when Phantom won’t get off it and says, “I think we have a winner.” Graham finally coaxes Phantom off the dog bed and Lee goes and picks it up and flops it in the cart.

They thank the clerk for all her help, and she beams, “Happy to help!” She squats down and tells Phantom, “You enjoy that new bed and your new home, boy. Be good for your owner, ok?” she says as she scratches his neck. He gives her a “Woof” and licks her hand.

Graham chuckles and starts to head for the cashier and Lee grins. He thanks the gal and gives her a $50 as a tip. Her eyes get huge and he just grins and puts his finger to his lip and gives her a wink.

She nods, pockets it, and tells him thank you.

He nods and goes to follow Graham and Phantom and pushes the cart to the front of the store. He grins, “I got this Graham. My treat.” He says. “You paid for Phantom, and Rich paid for the training, am I correct?” he asked. Graham nodded.

“Well I said I would pay for the supplies and the pet deposit for Harley, which was paid this morning.” He informed Graham with a grin.

Graham unloaded the cart onto the counter then notices a machine by the door and goes over to look at it. It makes tags for people’s pets. He squats down and looks at the tags on Phantom’s collar, he already has one with his name on it, but it doesn’t have your name or contact info on it.

Graham turns and looks at the different options for the tags. Looking at them, he decides on a bright yellow dog bone. He types in: _My name is Phantom._ For the front of the tag, for the back you write, _if found call: Harley (xxx-xxx-xxxx) or Mark_ (xxx-xxx-xxxx) since he trained Phantom.

Graham then has the machine make the tag.

He watches as it is engraved and then is dropped into the bin. He reaches in and grabs it out and looks at it. Grinning, he takes it up to the till. Lee grins and holds out his hand

“It’s only $3.00. I think I can handle that.” Graham replies grinning.

“All right.” Lee says as he goes to pay for the purchases. The cashier hands him the receipt and thanks him for shopping. Then she turns to Graham and he hands her the tag. She rings it up and he hands her the money for it. She gives him a receipt and the tag back, then asks if the dog would like a treat. Graham asks Phantom if he would like a treat.

He sits and raises his paw. The cashier leans down and shakes his paw and gives him the treat. “Good doggie!” she says. “Wuff” ***crunch crunch crunch*** he replies and munches on the treat, making everyone giggle.

Graham thanks her and they head out. “Thank ya Lee.” Graham tells him. “Harley will really appreciate the help.”

My pleasure he says quietly. I haven’t seen Richard so happy and content in a long time.” He tells Graham. “She’s been good for him, despite the mayhem lately. But that will calm down soon enough.” Lee states. “I will stop up later in the week to see how she is doing. Tell her I wish her a speedy recovery.” Lee says then leans down to pet Phantom.

“You be a good boy and keep Harley safe, ok?” he says.

***pants pants pants*** “Wuff!” Phantom replies.

Lee and Graham chuckle and Lee tells Graham he will see him later. Then heads for his car. Graham puts the purchases in the Jaguar then lets Phantom do his business and they head out back to the hospital. He carries one of the bags of food, the dog bed, and the bags of purchases up to Harley’s room.


	17. Chapter 17

Graham and Phantom come walking in and see Rich is on the phone talking to someone quietly in the corner of the room.

Graham unhooks Phantom who goes over to greet Rich. Graham quietly sets the bags down on a chair and lays the dog bed off to the side of the room where it will be out of the way. He takes the food and water bowls and stand out of the bag and set the stand along one wall.

Graham takes the bowls to the sink and washes them with soap and water, then dries the food one with a paper towel. The other bowl he fills with water and brings it to the stand and places it in there. Then he opens the food bag and pours some food into the other bowl. He places that bowl in the stand as well.

Phantom comes over to inspect what Graham is doing and then goes to munch for a bit once Graham moves away from the food stand. He chuckles and puts the dog food bag in one of the closets with Harley’s clothes and her messenger bag.

Once Richard is off the phone, he comes back over and sits by Harley.

Graham sits in a chair on the other side of the bed, across from Richard.

“Lee says he’ll stop by later on in the week.” He tells Rich as he calls Phantom over and puts the new tag on his collar. Phantom stands on his hind legs to check on you and sees you’re still sleeping, so he goes to his bed, flops down and rolls around on it till he is comfy and goes to sleep.

Graham chuckles.

Aiden and Scarlett showed up a few minutes later with a pretty bouquet of flowers and a balloon for you. They put it on the windowsill where you can see it when you wake up.

Aiden, Scarlett, Rich and Graham talk about what happened today quietly so as not to bother you.

“How the hell did they find out where we all lived?” Graham asked, annoyed.

Everyone shrugged. You had woken up but had kept your eyes closed trying to figure out what was going on. Feeling groggy from the meds.

“He is a very resourceful asshole.” You reply quietly, cringing at the pain as you moved your leg. Everyone stopped talking and looked at you surprised. You open your eyes and look around.

“Sweetheart, did we wake you?” Rich asks, concerned.

“No, Hun, I’ve been awake for a bit, was just trying to make sense of where I was and what was going on before opening my eyes. Where am I?” You tell him and ask as he leans over and kisses your forehead.

“You’re in the hospital, Sweetheart. They had to do surgery on your leg to get the bullet wound cleaned and stitched up. The bullet went straight through your leg and into the car door. You’re in your hospital room now.” he tells you.

You nod. “Oh. That would explain why my leg hurts.” You say.

You turn your head to see who all was there. Aiden, Scarlett, Graham & Rich were all there surrounding your bed. “Where’s Phantom?” you ask worriedly.

Graham chuckles. “Don’t worry, Lass. He’s fine. Sleeping on his new bed over in the corner of the room.” He tells you.

“Graham, you asked how my ex found where you all were living. My ex has connections all over the city, and he doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. He is ruthless and is clever and manipulative. He doesn’t ever give up till he gets what he wants. He wanted to send a message that he means to hurt all of my friends if I didn’t go back to him. I don’t know how you got past him with out being harassed by him at Aiden’s unless he arrived after you all did and before we did.” You tell him and sigh quietly.

Phantom comes over when he hears your voice and nuzzles and licks your hand, whining quietly.

You sigh and pet Phantom’s head. “It’s ok, boy, I’m right here. Go lay down.” You tell the dog.

Graham shakes his head. “He must’ve shown up after I arrived, Lass. I didn’t see anyone, and I walked in the front doors. Aid and Scar went in through the underground parking.” He told you.

“They got them all, Love, including your ex. So, there’s no need to worry anymore.” Richard tells you.

You look up at him surprised. “Yeah, but will they get out on bail again?” you say dejectedly.

He frowns. “I don’t know, Love, Alex didn’t say. It didn’t sound like they would though. He wants me to take a look at the restraining order you got, can I see it, please, Love?” he asks you.

You nod and tell him to pull it out of your bag’s front pocket. He goes and gets it then sits back down by the bed to read it.

Graham comes over and ask to see it too. You nod.

They both read through it and Richard notices the two dates. “The first hearing is in two days and the other one is a few days after that.” Richard sighs.

He pulls out his phone and enters the court hearings into his phone and sends a message to his agent about them and that he will need to make sure these two dates are kept clear of any activities or appointments. She messages back that the only thing he had was filming and she would explain things to the director to see if they could reschedule his scenes for another time.

Graham puts the dates into his phone too and does the same with his agent. She tells him his schedule looks clear for those dates and he tells her to keep it that way. He asks if there’s anything scheduled for tomorrow and she tells him no. He tells her to keep it clear for him then hangs up.

Richard looks at him funny. “You gotta work tomorrow, remember? You have that huge scene to do and there’s no way they’ll let you out of it! I’ll stay with her and keep her company while you’re at work, so she isn’t alone after all this.” He offers.

Richard groans, having forgotten he will be filming all day tomorrow. He growls.

“Don’t worry, Rich, go do your filming. We’ll keep her occupied and safe.” Graham tells his friend.

Richard looks down at you, asleep on the bed again. Your friends all stay near you and talk quietly trying to figure out ways to keep you entertained while you’re in the hospital.

Rich was going to wake you to ask you about doing the video call with the judge, but Graham stops him.

Graham looks down at you. “Let her sleep for a bit, Rich, she looked exhausted and stressed when you two got to the hospital this morning.” He stated. “Didn’t ya get much sleep last night?” he teased.

Richard looked at his friend with a completely deadpanned expression and said, “Like I told you, we watched a movie and cuddled then went to bed and slept in.”

Graham smirked. “And???”

Richard rolled his eyes at Graham. “And that’s all you’re getting.” He said as he got up and looked at you, brushing your hair out of your face that had come loose from your crown.

“I gotta go talk to the director, and call my lawyer, agent and publicist I’ll be back in a little bit.” He told Graham, Aiden and Scarlett.

Aiden, Scarlett & Graham nodded and sat quietly and talked while you slept.

When you woke up an hour later, you looked around. Aiden and Scarlett were playing a board game on the bedside table they had rolled over by where they were sitting, and Graham sat by you reading his book. He glances over when he sees you stir and chuckles at your confused expression.

“He had to go talk to our director and make a few calls, Sweetheart. He’ll be back in a bit. Asked us to stay with ya.” He tells you.

You sigh.

“Ya doing all right, Harley?” Graham asks coming over and sitting on the edge of the bed by you. He reaches up and tucks your flyaway hair back in it’s place that came loose from your crown while you slept.

You shake your head. “I feel just drained. I’m tired of all this mayhem and feel horrible that I put so many people’s lives in danger. People lost their homes and possessions because of me living there, and Todd almost got killed because he hired me! You all were being stalked because you befriended me, and now my Ex tried to attack Rich and I.” you say and feel your eyes start to burn as tears form from the pent up worry and stress.

Graham sighs and looks at Phantom who is licking your hand and nuzzling it trying to give you some comfort. He picks the dog up and sets him on the bed next to you. Phantom lays down and nuzzles your arm. You pet him and calm down, but still feel like you need a good, hard cry.

Graham pulls you to sit up, with Scarlett’s help. “Come here lass,” he says and sits on the edge of the bed again. You lean over to him sniffling and tears roll down your cheeks. He opens his arms and pulls you in for a hug. You try not to cry, but he just holds you and gently rubs your back.

“It’s all right, Sweetheart. Go ahead and cry if ye need to. I know ye’ve been under a lot of unnecessary stress. We aren’t mad at ye for any of this. None of it’s yer fault. Ye can’t control what others do and say. But we’re glad to have met ye and are here for ye through all this, ok?”

He tells you as you nod and start to cry.

Aiden comes over and sits on the edge of the bed opposite Graham and Scarlett rubs your shoulder.

“Graham’s right, Hun. None of this is your fault. Ben was an insane control freak and sooner or later he’ll pay for what he has done to you and everyone else, one way or another he will get his comeuppance. You have Phantom now, and he’ll keep you safe, and we will do our best to keep you safe as well.” She tells you.

Aiden leans over to calm Phantom down, “It’s ok, boy. She just needs to let out some stress and cry. She’ll be fine.”

Phantom leans against your good leg and whines quietly, then sits down and rubs his big, fluffy head on your tummy.

Aiden looks up at Graham wondering what to do. Graham just raises an eyebrow and shrugs.

You finally calm down. And Graham lets you go. “Feel better?” he asks.

“A little.” You reply.

He chuckles. “Sometimes ye just gotta cry and let the stress out, kiddo. Won’t do any good holding it in. It’ll just make ye sick.” He tells you as he takes a tissue from Scarlett and dries your tears.

“Now, how about something to eat?” he asks. You shrug.

Aiden grins, “I know just the thing! Stay here, I’ll be right back!” he exclaims and goes running off to the cafeteria.

Graham looks down at you and caresses your face. “You and Rich doin’ ok?” he asks. You nod. “Yeah, Pops. He’s treatin’ me like a princess.” You tell him.

He grins. “Good.” He tells you. “How’d last night go?” he asks you.

You grin. “It went fine. He made me chocolate covered strawberries and we had wine and he made Lee’s homemade pepperoni pizza, which I have GOT to get the recipe for!” you tell him.

Graham chuckles. “Good luck with that one, Sweetie, Lee rarely shares recipes.” He tells you, causing you to frown and pout.

“So, what else did ye two do? Rich says you watched a movie.” Graham says.

You grin mischievously, “Yeah, we watched his favourite one, though he failed to mention it’s name and I didn’t catch it when the movie first started.” You explain.

Graham grins. “Distracted, were ye?” he asks.

You giggle and nod. “Just a bit… I mean, chocolate dipped strawberries, homemade pizza and wine! Um, total distraction!” you grin and wiggle your eyebrows.

Graham and Scarlett laugh.

Just then, Graham looks up and chuckles when he sees Aiden coming back with a HUGE ice cream Sundae that is covered in chocolate, caramel, brownie bites, strawberry slices and banana slices. He has 5 spoons and a small bowl of vanilla ice cream for Phantom.

You laugh at the ridiculous ice cream sundae he is carrying and Graham smiles. He pulls the bedside table over your lap where Aiden plopped the HUGE Sundae and you call Phantom over and give him the ‘come’ sign. He comes over and Aiden gives him the bowl of ice cream down on the floor.

Phantom sniffs it and looks up at you confused. You grin and Aiden picks up the bowl. He takes a little on his finger and puts it on Phantom’s nose. Phantom licks it off and then looks at the bowl confused. Aiden scoops another little bit on his finger and holds it out to him. He sniffs it and gives it a hesitant lick. “Good Boy!” Aiden tells him and his tail thumps.

Aiden holds the bowl out and Phantom sniffs it again and licks the ice cream. “Yes! There ya go!” he tells him and puts it on the floor. Phantom lays down and licks at his ice cream while the four of you dig into the sundae.

“Come on!” he tells you all, “Hurry before it melts! If we’re lucky, we’ll finish it before Rich, gets back!” he giggles.

Soon Richard returns and Aiden groans, “Aw man! Now he’s gonna inhale the rest!” and everyone laughs.

Richard grins when he sees that you’re awake and gets a bigger grin when he sees what you’re eating. He stands beside your bed and you look up at him.

“Aid hoped we’d be able to finish it before you came back.” You said and giggled.

He raised an eyebrow to Aiden who smirked. “Anyone want any more?” Aiden asked.

You all laughed. “Naah, Aid, I’m stuffed.” Scarlett tells him.

Graham chuckled. “I’ve had my sugar quota for the day now! I’m gonna have to hit the gym for an hour now ta work it all off!” he grins.

You shake your head. “I’ve had enough, thanks Aiden.”

Aiden shrugs, “I guess the rest is yours, Rich.” He tells him with a grin.

Richard smirks, and goes to pull up a chair next to Aiden but Aiden just stands and motions for Rich to sit where he had been sitting. Rich nods and sits down.

Phantom had positioned himself on your right side by Aiden and Graham and Scarlett were on your left.

You look down and chuckle. Aiden looks down and sees Phantom’s bowl is empty and he has ice cream all over his face. Aiden busts up laughing, which makes Phantom look up.

Richard glances down and grins, he motions for the dog to ‘come’ and the poor confused dog comes over to him. Richard motions for him to ‘sit’. And Phantom does.

Richard takes a napkin and his bottle of water and gets the napkin wet. He wipes off the ice cream from the dog’s face, chuckling. “How did you ever get ice cream all over your face, boy?” he asks the dog.

Phantom just looks at him and then at Aiden, who is still giggling. Phantom ‘wuffs’ at Aiden like he’s blaming Aiden for it, and Richard glances over at Aiden.

Aiden looks at him and says, “What? I just got him a little bowl of it for a treat. How was I supposed to know he’d never had ice cream before! You should have seen how confused he was! I had to show him what to do with it. He had no idea how to eat it!” Aiden replied laughing.

Richard chuckled. “Made a mess of it did ya?” he asks the dog.

“Wuff” Phantom replied making him grin. “There… now you’re all cleaned up.” He tells the dog. “I’ll just take that, so you don’t get into it again.” He says as he leans down and grabs the bowl.

They all chuckle and Richard digs into the rest of the sundae and finishes it off.


	18. Chapter 18

Richard looks over at Graham, “How did shopping with Lee go for the supplies?” he asks.

“Lee?” you ask.

Graham, Aiden and Richard chuckle. “Lee Pace. He was at the party at my house, I believe he arrived after you did though, so you may not have been introduced to him.” Richard tells you. “He’s a good friend of ours.”

You giggle. “The King of Mirkwood being good friends with the Dwarves of Erebor!” you giggle again, and they all chuckle.

“Yeah, he’s not that bad once ya get to know ‘im Lass. Kinda uppity at first, but get a few beers in him and he loosens up and is pretty fun!” Graham teases.

“Oh, THIS I gotta see!” you tease back.

Richard just grins. “Not tonight, Sweetheart.” I think we’ve had enough excitement for one day!” he grins. “I gotta work tomorrow, so Graham’s gonna hang out with you for the day tomorrow, ok?” he tells you. “I’ll come join you once I’m done filming for the day.”

You look at Graham surprised, and he grins and nods. “Ok.” You reply.

Scarlett gets up to put your messenger bag in the closet and sees your jacket, Rich’s grey shirt and the silver corset hanging on the hook.

“Hey! I just realized you weren’t all in black today!” Scarlett says as she looks at you from across the room. “Something was bugging me, and I couldn’t figure out what it was till now!” she giggles.

You roll your eyes. “That’s only because I didn’t have a black shirt with me and the one I was wearing yesterday seems to have disappeared since I went to bed last night!” you say, looking right at Richard with a raised eyebrow.

He gives you an evil smirk and Graham and Aiden bust up laughing. “Just watched a movie and cuddled then went to bed? My ass that’s all you did!” Graham teased, making Richard glare at him red faced.

You just giggled. “I’m sure it just got kicked under the bed when he offered me a shirt and sweatpants for pj’s last night. I tend to leave a trail of clothes when I get ready for bed…” you giggle.

“We were kind of in a hurry this morning when we realized what had happened and I couldn’t find my black shirt, so I just grabbed that one and threw it on so it’d kinda match the silver in the corset.” You explained, seeing Rich’s face get pink.

Suddenly you realize you have no idea what happened to your clothes. “OH! Please tell me they didn’t confiscate my clothes for the case! I JUST got that silver corset!!!! And those were my favourite leather pants!!!!” you bemoan.

Graham just chuckled. “It’s nice to see you in something other than black all the time, Sweetheart.” He tells you. “Don’t worry. Your corset and shirt are hanging in the closet. We’ll just need to get you new laces for it. They cut them to get the corset off you quickly and we’ll have to get you new pants, since they just cut them off.

You frown. “Damn it! I loved those pants!!!” you pout.

Scarlett laughs. “Honey, we can get you another pair. I know which store they came from and what size you wear. But you won’t be needing them any time soon, Sweetie. You’re stuck in here for at least a week!” she tells you.

“WHAT?!?!?!” you exclaim. “OH HELL NO!” you say annoyed and try to get up. Both Graham and Rich move to stop you, each putting a hand on a shoulder and pushing you to lie back.

Richard frowns and looks over at Graham and Scarlett. “Sweetheart, look at me. You need to calm down.” He says looking up at the heart monitor that was beeping much faster than it had been a few moments ago. He turns your face to his. “Bullet wounds are not something to take lightly. They can easily get infected, Sweetheart! Luckily the bullet went clean through. They found it imbedded in the door of my car.” He tells you.

You look at him surprised.

“They want to keep you in the hospital for a week to make sure it doesn’t get infected. You need to follow their instructions, ok?” he tells you firmly. “The more you cooperate, the sooner you will get out of here. IF you don’t do as you’re told, you could end up with an infection and could very well lose your leg, is that what you want?” he asks, frowning at you and raises an eyebrow.

You lower your eyes, “No.” you reply quietly.

“I thought so. Now be my good girl and just use this time to rest and let your leg heal. We will stay and keep you company when we aren’t having to be at work. They have a dvd/ blueray player here in your room, and the nurse tells me they have video games you can play, and we can bring up your laptop and other things for you to do.” He tells you.

“But who’s gonna check on the shop and go let the delivery drivers in when they come?” you ask. “Todd’s supposed to get a shipment of tea this week and I think he ordered some coffee to be delivered too!” you tell them.

“I will, sweetie.” Scarlett tells you. “I just need you to tell me which set of keys it is.” She says.

You nod. “Can someone get the keys from Alex then go to the shop and tape a note to the back door telling delivery drivers to call Scarlett’s phone # when they arrive, and she will come let them in to make the delivery?” You ask.

“I’ll do that tonight, Sweetheart. And I’ll leave a note on the front door explaining why the shop is closed and that it’ll reopen when Todd and you are fully healed.” Richard explains.

“Scarlett, I’ll drop the keys off with you after I’m done at the shop tonight. You’ll need to stop by the shop each afternoon and take the mail in as well.” He tells her. “Just put it on his desk with the delivery paperwork and he’ll take care of it when he gets back, or we can bring it up to him once he wakes up.”

Scarlett nods. “Ok. Just bring the keys to the Studio, I’ll get them from you there. Leave them with your assistant.”

You notice Phantom is getting antsy and looking around, he looks at you and whines a little. You frown. “What’s the matter boy?” you ask.

He whines and looks out the door. You glance over and don’t see anything. Then you realize he’s probably been inside for a while. “Do you need to go outside?” you ask. He lets out a short yip.

Graham chuckles and gets up. He digs around in the bag for the clip on container of dog poo bags and finds it. He clips it to the leash and says, “Come on Phantom, let’s go outside.” The dog trots over to Graham and waits for him to clip on the leash. They head out of the room and out to the grassy courtyard of the hospital.

“Sweetie, we’re gonna head out and go back to the apartment. Want us to bring you anything tomorrow?” Scarlett asks.

You think. “Just my laptop, for now. Just grab the backpack. It has everything in it. Anyone know were my phone went?” you ask.

Scarlett digs around in the closet and pulls it out of your coat pocket. “Here it is Sweetie.” She says as she hands it to you. You see the battery is almost dead. “Ugh, can you grab the charger cords out of my bag, Scar? The battery is almost dead.” You tell her.

She digs around in the messenger bag and finds the cord and hands it to Richard, who plugs it into the nearby wall outlet and hands you the end of the cord to plug into your phone.

“Thanks.” You tell them.

Scarlett comes and leans over the hospital bed railing. She gives you a hug. “See you tomorrow, Harley. Get some sleep.” She tells her friend.

You nod. “Sorry about fucking up the plans for the evening.” You apologize.

“You had no way of knowing what was gonna happen, Har.” Aiden tells you. “And you didn’t fuck up any plans. We didn’t really have anything planned yet. Just that we were gonna meet at my place and figure out something from there.” He replies, coming over and giving you a hug too. “Now get some rest and we’ll be back tomorrow to see how you’re doing.” He says grinning.

You wave bye to them and watch them head out.


	19. Chapter 19

Glancing over at Richard, you notice he looks exhausted. “You ok, Hun?” you ask.

He looks up at you and sighs. Leaning his arms on your bed, he holds your hand. “I just thought I was going to lose you today, when I realized your ex had a gun pointed at us. That’s why I told Phantom to attack him instead of the guy with the knife. When I heard the gun go off and felt you take the hit and crumple in my arms, I- I ….” He closes his eyes and bows his head, unable to finish the thought.

You reach down and run your fingers through his hair. He looks up at you and you see his eyes are glassy. “Oh, Rich… You didn’t lose me. I’m still here… ‘not dead yet!’ you tease with a small smile, quoting the guy in the Monty Python ‘bring out your dead’ scene you had once seen.

He smiles, catching your movie quote.

“I love you, Harley. I can’t imagine my life without you in it anymore.” He tells you as he stands and gives you a kiss, chuckling when the heart monitor starts to beep faster.

You giggle, “Damn monitor!” you grumble.

He just chuckles. And kisses you again.

He sits down next to your bed and holds your hand gently rubbing the back of it with his thumb. You both are quiet for a while, lost in your own thoughts.

You look out the window and at the flowers that your friends brought you along with the balloon. He glances at you. “Alex said that your restraining order is a temporary one. It’s only good for ten days, Love. Did you look at it when he gave it to you?” he asks you after a bit.

You shake your head and turn to look at him surprised. “No. Why would they only make it good for ten days?” you ask.

He tells you the process, “Alex explained that you appear for two hearings. The first one is so the judge can talk to you and find out from you what was going on.

Then at the second hearing, he lets your ex give his side of the story, then the police present their evidence and we can have an attorney present to add anything else that may be helpful.

At the end of the second hearing, he said that the judge can either rule to make the restraining order a permanent one, or he can make it last for a certain length of time. At that time, he will also determine the conditions of the restraining order.

I talked to an attorney while you were taking your nap and she agreed to take our case. I gave her Alex’s contact info, Todd’s and Graham’s, Scarlett’s, Aiden’s and Mark’s. She was going to talk to them all and she wants to talk to you as well, Sweetheart.

You do have the option of pressing charges against him for all the stuff he’s done. I told her what all has been going on and how we met.

She agreed to come and talk with you here tomorrow when Graham is here with you, because the first hearing is the day after tomorrow, Sweetheart.” He tells you as he holds your hand.

“We’re going to see if the judge will agree to do the meeting via video call so you can still ‘be present’ so to speak and give him your side of the story and answer any questions he may have.” Richard tells you. “Alex mentioned he will get in contact with the Judge and let him know why you can’t be there in person.”

“I asked Graham if he’d stay and sit with you tomorrow and he said he would.” Richard explains.

“I tried to get the time off to be here with you tomorrow, but we have a full day of filming that couldn’t be rearranged.” He says. “We’re almost done filming this movie and they are scrambling to finish it so they can get it edited in time for the release date the end of next month.” He explains.

“Oh. Okay.” You reply.

He sighs, “I’m sorry, Love, I really wanted to be the one sitting here with you as you visited with the lawyer.

You need to make sure you tell her everything, hun. Including how you got all the scars on your legs and crotch. It needs to be documented that he was the one who gave you most of those scars on your legs and all the ones on your crotch, Sweetheart. You need to tell this doctor too, if he asks. I don’t want them thinking I gave them to you, Ok?”

You nod. “okay.”

“I suppose you’ll be traveling a lot promoting your new movie soon.” You reply sadly, looking down at the edge of the blanket and your fingers. “I don’t know anything about how movies are made, other than what is shared on bonus features of dvd’s and bluerays.” You explain.

He nods. “I know, honey. I was gonna ask if you’d like to join me and do a bit of traveling. I’ll be going all over the world promoting the film. I want you to join me, if you’re up for it.” He says. “My assistant is looking into seeing what all we’d have to do to take Phantom with, so you’d feel safe.”

You look at him surprised. “Really?” you ask.

He nods. “I wanted to ask you something else too…” he mentions and clears his throat nervously. “Was wondering if you’d like to be my date for the different Premieres I have to go to.” He asks with a big grin and pulls out the tickets from his jacket to show you.

Your jaw hits the ground and you look at the tickets then back up to him. “OH MY Gosh!!! Are you kidding?!?!” you ask. He chuckles as the heart rate monitor increases the beeps showing him how excited you were getting.

“Damn monitor!” you grumble again.

Rich chuckles, “I’m completely serious, Love.” He replies. “I want you to join me for the Red Carpet Premieres of my newest movie so I can show you off and introduce you as my girlfriend before the paparazzi gets wind of it and starts coming up with all kinds of untrue rumors.” He tells you. “I love you, Harley, and am proud to say you’re MY ‘Pretty Woman’.” He grins.

You blush and take the tickets from his hand and look at them. You shake your head, “Am I dreaming?” you ask.

Rich chuckles, “No, Sweetheart, you are not dreaming. Want me to pinch you?” he asks with a mischievous grin.

You laugh and tell him no; he can’t pinch you.

“What do you say, Harley? Will you join me for my movie Premieres and walk the Red Carpets with me? Graham will be there too and said he hoped you’d join us.” he smirked.

“Is THAT why he got me the corset and dress and jewelry?” you ask.

Richard smirks. “He what?!?” Richard asks surprised.

You giggle. “I take it you didn’t know about this?” you ask.

Rich shakes his head, “You’ll have to ask him then, I knew nothing about it... I just asked Scarlett if you had anything worthy of walking the Red Carpet in case I decided to ask you to join me for a movie premiere one of these times, and she replied no. You had just purged your closet and didn’t have anything fancy to wear. He must’ve overheard us talking.” Rich tells you.

“What kind of dress did he get you?” Richard asks now feeling excited you said yes, and inquisitive, wondering what his friend and co-star picked for you to wear on the red carpet with them.

You grin. “You didn’t see it?” you ask with a raised eyebrow, not sure if you believe him.

“No, he never mentioned it to me.” Richard replies. “This is the first I’ve heard of it.”

You keep grinning, “Well, in THAT case, I’m not telling. It can be a surprise for you!” you say with an evil smirk.

He looks over at you and gives you puppy eyes.

“Nope, not telling. You’ll just have to wait and see!” you tell him grinning.

Richard laughs, “Fine. I’ll just have to raid your closet when I get to Aiden’s while you sit here, to see if I can get a glimpse of it!” he teases.

“You wouldn’t dare!” you look at him, with a raised eyebrow and fold your arms across your chest.

He just smirks.

“Oooh you men!” you say. “I bet you were the little kid who searched the house for the Christmas presents and opened them early just to see what you got and then wrapped them back up!” you tell him.

He just continues to give you a mischievous grin.

“I’ll just have to have Scarlett hide it elsewhere where you won’t ever find it!” you smile. I have enough hiding places and friends, that we can move it around and you’ll never see it till the night you come pick me up!” you tease.

Rich pouts, but just then Graham comes waltzing in with Phantom. He looks at the two of you and asks, “Did I miss something?”

Rich goes to open his mouth, and you squeal with glee, “LOOK!!! Rich just asked me to join him on the Red Carpet for the movie premiere!!!!” you say waving the tickets.

Graham grins, “Bout time!!!” he teases Richard, giving him a smack on the back.

“What’s this I hear you bought her a dress and jewelry?” Rich asks with a raised eyebrow, looking annoyed.

Graham unhooks Phantom’s leash and chuckles. “Well if I’m gonna be the substitute Dad for her, then I figured she better have an appropriate gown for the event! I overheard you asking Scarlett if Harley had anything to wear if you decided to ask her to join you and I heard Scarlett tell you no.

I talked it over with the wife and she gave me the go ahead. So, the other day, while you were filming, Aiden, Scarlett and I went shopping to find Harley something worthy of her Red Carpet Debut with you!” he smirks. “And, no, you do not get to see it until you come to pick her up!” he scolds Rich.

“And no, you can not pay me back for the gown and jewels. It’s a gift from Gwen and I for her!” Graham adds when he sees Rich open his mouth to protest.

You giggle at their exchange. “Hey Pops, when you leave tonight, go get it from Aiden’s and hide it somewhere. He threatened to raid my closet to find it!” you tattle grinning from ear to ear.

Rich glares at you and Graham just roars laughing. “Sure thing, sweetheart. I can do that!” he says. “I know a great place to hide it!” he giggles.

Rich rolls his eyes. “Fine. I get it, no peeking till the night of the party.” He groans.

“Aww, come on, Rich! I promise, it’ll be well worth the wait!” Graham tells his friend. “Now, it’s getting late and you have to be at the studios for 4am, so you had better get going pretty soon!” he reminds Richard.

“Yes, Pops!” Richard teases back.

Graham just rolls his eyes. “Night, Sweetheart!” he says as he walks over to you and gives you a kiss on your forehead. “I’ll be up in the morning to sit with you. Want me to get you breakfast on my way in?” he asks.

You nod. “Yes, please!” you reply.

“Anything in particular? Or should I just surprise you?” Graham asks.

“As long as there’s no mushrooms or onions, in it, I’ll eat whatever you want to get for me.” You tell him.

Graham chuckles and nods. “All right. You two have a good, restful night.” He tells you both then gives Rich a pat on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, Rich. She’ll be just fine tomorrow.” Then he heads out of the room and down to his car.

Richard’s phone begins to ring as Graham is leaving and Rich looks down to see it’s Alex calling. He answers it and Alex tells him that Todd is awake. He wanted to see Harley, but he told Todd that it’s a bit early for that. Alex says that Todd wants Harley to check on the store and make sure they get the shipments this week and that the mail gets taken in. He asks Rich if he can come up and get the keys.

Rich tells him he was just going to head out from your room and will stop to get the keys, and that you had already thought about all of that and asked Scarlett to check on the shop and to let the delivery drivers in with the shipments.

Alex tells Rich he will see him in a bit and asks how you’re doing. Rich tells him you woke up a while ago and they’ve just been explaining what has been happening and talking. Alex tells Rich he will have an officer sit with you for the next few nights just to make sure nothing happens. They are hoping they have all of your ex’s cronies but aren’t positive.

Rich thanks Alex and tells him he will be up as soon as the officer shows up. He gets the room number from Rich and gives Rich Todd’s room number to come to. Then they both hang up.

Rich tells you that Todd is awake, and asked to see you. He tells you Alex doesn’t want to tell Todd yet about you being injured by your ex. Rich says he will head up to see Todd and Alex and will get the keys for the shop in a little bit.

You ask Rich to tell Todd you say hello and that you hope he recovers quickly.

Rich tells you he will give Todd your message. He tells you Alex is sending an officer down to stay with you tonight to keep you extra safe just in case they didn’t get some of Ben’s cronies. You nod. “I’m getting sleepy, Hun. Can you make sure to introduce him or her to Phantom so we don’t have any problems?” you ask.

“Sure thing, Love. Now go to sleep and I’ll see you after I’m done with work tomorrow.” He tells you and kisses your eyes closed. He gives you a gentle hug and a long, passionate kiss. Making your heart monitor beep faster again. He grins as you curse the monitor. “Night, Love.” He tells you.

“Night Rich.” You reply. “Good luck tomorrow with filming. I love you. Thanks for protecting me and Phantom today, Sir Knight.” You tell him, giggling

He grins and gives you a bow. “Good night Lady Harley, sleep well and have a good day tomorrow, oh Love of my life!” he replies and blows you a kiss before dimming the lights in your room and heading out the door to wait for the officer.

Officer James Eagle arrived and introduced himself, showing his badge and name tag to Rich. He explained Alex wants plain clothes officers here at night to protect you and Todd, so if a cronie does show up, he won’t realize it’s a cop in the room until it’s too late.

Richard nods. “Well, I need to introduce you to Harley’s guard dog otherwise he will not be too happy with you.” He replies.

Rich gets Phantom’s attention and motions for him to ‘come’. Phantom gets up and comes to the door and looks at Rich. He introduces the officer to Phantom and Phantom accepts him as being ok. He licks the officer’s hand a couple times, lets him pet his head and then goes back to check on you.

The officer and Rich watch as Phantom gets up on his hind legs so he can see over the top of the bed. He sees you’re sleeping and then huffs and goes back to his bed and lies down.

Rich thanks the officer and leaves him to sit with you for the evening.

Rich heads up to Todd’s room and visits with him and Alex.

Alex reminds Richard about the court hearing in two days and Richard tells him you’re meeting with his attorney tomorrow with Graham since he has to work all day. Alex nods. “I’ve already talked to her and given her everything we had for the case. Harley will be able to do the meeting via Skype with the Judge. Just make sure it’s set up 15 min before the hearing is set to begin. The Judge will call her on skype when he is ready to start.

You have a pretty good case for a permanent restraining order, but it is always up to the judge. This one is a pretty good one though and doesn’t like seeing assholes like Harley’s ex doing what they do.” Alex tells Rich.

Rich nods then gets the keys and security code from Todd and Alex and calls an Uber for a ride to the shop. When they arrive, he tells the driver to wait for him to return. Then lets himself into the shop, deactivates the alarm, and goes to the desk. He pulls a sheet of computer paper from the printer, tears it in half horizontally, and writes a note for the front door explaining why the shop is closed and when it will reopen, then writes one for the back door for the delivery drivers. He tapes them both to the doors and reactivates the security code and locks the door.

He gives the Uber driver his address, and heads home. When he gets home, he puts the pizza into the fridge that had been left out over night and forgotten about in the hurry to leave this morning.

Then Rich climbs the stairs and heads to bed, exhausted after such an eventful and stressful day.


	20. Chapter 20

Morning came all too soon for you. Aiden & Scarlett woke you up knocking on your door at 8am. The officer from last night looks up at them then over to you. You grin and nod and he motions for them to enter.

Scarlett comes in and plops on the bed and hands you a hot cup of coffee. You thank her and sip on it. The officer stands and tells you that he will go out in the hallway and let you have some time with your friends and to call for him if you need anything.

You thank him and he heads out to the hall.

Aiden wandered in and plopped down on the floor and petted Phantom. “So, how’s it going with Rich?” he asks. “Good.” You reply with a smug grin.

“You two getting pretty close? He looked so worried about you yesterday after you had been shot. It really scared him, Harley. I think more than he wanted to let on.” he tells you.

You nod. “Yeah, we have talked a lot and are getting close. I have never been treated the way he treats me. All my prior boyfriends were jerks compared to him. They never treated me with kindness and only manhandled me roughly.” You tell him. Scarlett rolls her eyes and says, “Now _that’s_ and understatement if I ever heard one!”

You glare at her and continue, “Richard makes me feel safe and loved. It’s still hard for me to get used to. It helps though that he always has a hand resting gently on me. Either on my back or around my waist or on my arm, or just holding hands.” You reply.

Scarlett and Aiden grin. “Yeah, we noticed he can’t seem to keep his hands off of you.” They both giggle. “He can be quite possessive, but it’s always in a good way, don’t worry.” Aiden tells you.

“Chivalry certainly isn’t dead with him!” Scarlett giggles.

You giggle. “Well, I don’t want a knight in shining armor.” You reply as you raise the bed up more so you’re more in a sitting position. You wince and adjust your weight, so it isn’t on your left leg as much.

Aiden looks at you confused. “I thought that was what all women wanted, a knight in shining armor to come rescue them and take them to the castle to live happily ever after. Why don’t you want that?” he asks.

You chuckle. “If I’m gonna have a knight come and rescue me, I want him in dented and dinged up armor. A knight in shining armor means he hasn’t seen battle and never waged war. You don’t know if he’ll stick around when the battle gets intense, or if he’ll tuck tail and flee.

Whereas a knight in dented and dinged up armor shows he HAS seen battle and had his mettle tested. It means he has fought, defeated and survived what the world has thrown at him. And not fled when the going got tough.” You giggle. “He’s a real warrior!”

Scarlett nods. Aiden just smirks and grins widely. “I guess I never thought of it that way, but I get what you’re saying.” He tells you as he takes a bite of his breakfast sandwich.

“So, speaking of knights, what are your plans for today? Isn’t Sir Guy working all day today?” Scarlett asks.

You giggle and nod catching her Robin Hood reference to Richard. “Yeah, he’s workin all day today. He asked Graham if he’d stay with me today and meet with the attorney that Rich hired for me.

I guess I have to appear before the judge to tell him my side of the story. Then I have to appear before him again as my ex stands before him and explains himself. After that, the judge will make his ruling on the restraining order being made permanent or temporary.” You explain.

“How are you going to appear before a judge when you’re in the hospital?” Aiden asks.

“I guess Alex was going to try to set something up using the internet and video calling.” You explain. “I am not entirely sure.”

“Ah, that would make sense then.” He replies.

You nod and are quiet for a few minutes. “Thank you for the flowers and balloon, you two.” You tell Aiden and Scarlett.

“Glad you like them, Hun.” Scarlett says. “You seem pretty quiet this morning. Didn’t you sleep very well?” she asks.

You shake your head. “No, the nurses were in and out a lot checking on me every hour. The officer assigned to guard me ended up telling them to let me sleep and to leave me alone for a while.” You tell her. “I’m just tired and been thinking about a lot of stuff.” You reply.

(You spent a lot of last night thinking of all the people who have helped you and wondered how you can thank them for everything. Saying ‘thank you’ just doesn’t seem to be enough.

You decided to do something nice for each person who has helped you through this. Starting with Richard and Graham. You make a note to ask Graham what you could do for something special for Rich.

You thought about Graham and how far away his family is. You wish you could meet them and say “Hi” so they can put a face with a name. You decide to ask him about his family today and ask him what their names are.)

You ask Aiden how long he has known Graham and Rich. He replied they all met on the set of the Hobbit films. You ask him what kinds of things does Rich like. You explain that you realized you didn’t know much about him, he always turns the conversations to be about you.

Aiden chuckled. “He always does that. And it can get to be annoying. He hates talking about himself. I’ve learned most of what I know just by watching him & listening & observing.” Aiden explains. “He likes to read, and has several Lego sets of the Hobbit. He’s just a big little kid at heart. He likes a good wine, chocolate ice cream, and good coffee, and was pretty good at horse riding and sword fighting. He is frugal with his money, but isn’t afraid to splurge on those he loves. He did mention one time that his Mom used to help him answer fan mail and it meant a lot to him. He really misses her, she passed away a few years ago.

He doodles, and dances, and tends to write back stories for his characters he portrays.” Aiden tells you.

“So, if I wanted to do something super special for him as a ‘thank you’ for all the help he has been, what would be something meaningful for him?” you ask.

“Hmmm. I don’t know. Maybe a nice journal for him to do his writing in, or taking him to a winery for a private tour? I guess it depends on what you want to spend. He really just seems to cherish spending time with you, Harley.” Aiden tells you.

You nod.

“Well, I need to get ready. I’m supposed to spend the day with Graham. I have no idea what we are going to do other than meeting with the lawyer. He said to let him know when I was up and ready to go.” You tell them.

“Ok.” Aiden says as he stands up. “If you want some company, let us know. We can meet up with you later on.”

“Thanks, Aiden, I’ll let you know.” You tell him.

“I’ll head out and get us some breakfast while you get ready. What do you want, Scarlett?” He tells her with a kiss to her cheek and brushes a strand of her curly, red hair off her face.

“I’ll eat whatever you find, Sweetie.” She tells him.

“What about you, Harley?” he asks.

“Thanks, Aiden, but Graham is picking up breakfast for me on his way here.” You tell him.

Aiden nods and heads out to get himself and Scarlett breakfast.

You grab your phone and text Graham. “ _Morning Pops! What’s the plans for today besides meeting with the attorney?”_

He texts back _“Morning Sunshine! Not sure what we’ll end up doing. We can figure that out when I get there. Still want breakfast? How’d last night go?”_ he replies.

_“Ok, Yes, can you pick up something for breakfast, please? Didn’t get much sleep. Nurses kept me up checking on me every hour till the officer told them to leave me alone and let me sleep.”_ You text him _. “When ya coming up to see me?”_

_“Be there in about an hour, Sweetie.”_ He texts back. _“Finishing up some stuff here before I go.”_ He replies.

“ _Ok Pops, see ya soon!_ 😊”

Scarlett grins and shows you that she brought up some of your tops and corsets. “So you feel a little more comfortable.” The nurses said you can put the tops on but want you to wait with the corsets till later.” She tells you.

Scarlett helps you find something to wear and you end up putting on a long sleeved black peasant top with the shorts the hospital provided. A nurse helped with the ports, disconnecting them long enough for you to put the top on and then re-connected the iv’s to the ports.

Scarlett helps you with washing your face and helps with your hair and the two of you have fun playing around with a few different hair styles for your incredibly long hair. The two of you settled on a 5 strand Dutch French braid.

Aiden comes back in after a bit with breakfast for him and Scarlett and said, “Oooohhh! I like the hair!” as he comes over and admires your braid hanging over your shoulder. “Your hair is SO long, Harley! How long did it take to grow it out like that?” he asks.

You giggle. “10 years!” you reply and laugh as Aiden’s jaw drops.

“What?!?! Did you just say 10 years?!?!?!” he asks.

You nod.

“Wow!” he replies as he runs his fingers along the braid. “How do you keep it so soft and nice looking?” he asks.

You chuckle. “Hair oil, and I get it trimmed regularly to control split ends. I also try to keep it in some kind of braid or updo so it’s not just flying all over and getting all tangled up.” You reply.

He nods. “I can’t imagine having hair this long. We thought the long wigs we had to wear for The Hobbit were annoying. They kept getting in our faces and making it hard to see. When we weren’t filming, they were all tied back so it was out of our faces.” He tells you.

You giggle. “But you all looked so damn sexy with long hair!” you tease. He blushes and grins.

Scarlett digs through the bag of food Aiden brought and hands him a breakfast sandwich, “Here, Aid. Sit and eat.” She tells him as she pulls out one and a container of tater tots and sets them on the bedside table.

You giggle and snitch a few tater tots and pop them in your mouth. Grinning wickedly when Aiden says, “Hey! You said you didn’t want anything!”

Scarlett smacks him on the arm. “Oh hush! She can have a few of the tater tots to hold her till Graham gets here!” she scolds.

Just then you get a text from Rich. “ _Hey Love! Am just taking a break on set and thought I’d say, ‘hi and love you!’ How’s it going this morning_?”

You reply back, _“Hi Hon! The morning’s going good. Just getting ready for the day. Aiden and Scarlett are here now & Graham will be here in an hour. He had to run some errands before we meet with the attorney.” _You message back.

He sends you a thumbs up emoji and _‘Have fun, sweetheart! See you after work. Xoxo’_


	21. Chapter 21

You, Aiden & Scarlett visit for a while, then Graham shows up with a pretty bouquet of brightly colored daisies and mums with a big sunflower in the middle of it, and a tray with two coffee cups and a brown paper bag in the other hand. He had a ‘get well’ balloon also for you, which was tied to the vase of flowers.

You giggle and thank him for them. He grins and sets the flowers and balloon down on the windowsill next to the ones from Aiden and Scarlett.

He comes and gives you a little hug and kisses your forehead. “How’s my girl doin?” he asks.

You grin, “Don’t let Rich hear you say that!” you tease.

He grins, “Well, me and Gwen laid claim to ya before Rich did, so he’ll have to just deal with it.” He says cheekily, making you giggle. “So, how are ya doin?” he asks.

You shrug. “Tired, my leg hurts, and I’m hungry.” you reply and grin when he sets a bag on the table and hands you a french vanilla cappuccino from the tray.

“Well, breakfast is here now, so at least ya won’t be hungry anymore.” He chuckles. “Don’t they have ya on pain meds?” he asks you.

“Yeah, but I told the nurse I didn’t want them till I had some breakfast in me. I’ll get them in a bit.” You tell Graham.

Grinning, you dig into the bag, seeing pastries like what Todd has delivered each morning. You look up at Graham. “Where did you get these from? They look like the ones Todd has delivered each morning at the shop!” you ask.

He grins. “I got them from the pastry shop that he gets his from. They asked why his shop was closed and then saw the note Rich left on the door this morning. They said to tell ye and Todd that they wish ye both a speedy recovery!” he says with a smile

You grin and take a bite of a strawberry scone and let out a happy little groan. “I love these ones! These and the doughnuts with the white icing and the strawberry or cherry fillings! OOOooohhh they are the BEST!” you giggle.

There’s a knock at the door and a young lady is standing at the door with two big bouquets of flowers. “Excuse me Miss, but are you Harley?” she asks.

You nod. “Yes.”

She comes in and tells you, “These are for you. Where would you like them?” She asks.

Your jaw drops. One bouquet is two dozen red and pink roses with baby’s breath and purple lavender filler. The other is a bouquet of 6 yellow roses, brightly colored fuji mums and daisies that were colored brightly with food coloring.

Scarlett gets up and takes the bouquet of red and pink roses. She sets it down on the table and looks for a card. “Aaahhh! Here it is!” she says and hands you the card.

You open it up and see it’s from Richard. “ _For the love of my life. You mean the world to me, Sweetheart. I hope these brighten your day. I’m thinking bout you & know I love you more than anything in the universe! Xoxo – Rich”_

You grin and show it to Graham, Aiden & Scarlett. They all smile, and Scarlett puts the card back on the plastic stand and Graham takes the bouquet and puts it on the windowsill next to the other ones.

The delivery gal hands Scarlett the other big bouquet and then heads out to do more deliveries after you thank her for bringing them up.

Scarlett digs around in the bouquet and finds another card. She hands it to you, and you open it up to see it is from the Police Department that Alex, Todd and Jack worked for. It said, “ _Heard what happened, wishing you a speedy recovery! Our thoughts and prayers are with you! –_ _Inspector Kathleen Walsh &_ _your friends at the NYPD 19 th Precinct._”

You look at Graham and Scarlett in surprise. “The police department sent me flowers?” Graham chuckles. “Apparently so Sweetheart!”

You shake your head in disbelief. “Well, that was nice!” you state.

They all nod. Graham takes the flowers and puts them on the windowsill as well. “You’re getting quite the collection, Sweetie!” Scarlett teases you.

You grin. “They’re making my room smell nice, that’s for sure!” you say, grinning.

Your doctor knocks on the door casing and then steps in. He talks with you for a bit and checks the wounds on your leg after shooing everyone out into the hall.

He asks you about all the scars on your legs and you explain they go all the way up onto your crotch. You tell him that the ones on your legs were from your last three boyfriends you had before meeting Richard. And you tell him the ones on your crotch were from the ex-boyfriend who shot you. You ask him to make a note of you telling him that to put in your medical file. That you don’t want anyone thinking it was Richard who gave you them. You explain you never had reported the abuse from your ex boyfriends because of fear since the ex-boyfriends had all threatened you that if you told they’d go after you and your family. He nods in understanding and makes a note of it in your file.

He tells you that he doesn’t want you walking on the leg for a few days, and that you may use the crutches ONLY to get from your bed to the restroom in your room and then back to your bed. You nod. He asks if you need any stronger pain meds and you shake your head.

“I’m due for them when the nurse comes back with them. I told her I wanted to wait to take them till I had some breakfast in me first.” You reply.

He nods and tells you he will check in with you tomorrow morning then and tells you to have a good day.

Your friends come back in after the Doctor leaves and they have another two bouquets. You roll your eyes and giggle. “Now who are these from?” you ask.

Graham sets a small oblong flowerpot on the table with Hyacinths, tulips, daffodils and crocuses on the table in front of you. You grin and take a deep breath. “Oooohhh! Those smell wonderful!!!” you pull the card off the flower pick and read it. It’s _from Captain Angel L. Figueroa Jr. & the NYPD 1st precinct_ and says: _“Wishing you a speedy recovery, Harley! Our thoughts and prayers are with you as you recover!”_

“Awwww! That’s sweet!” you say and put the card back on the flower pick.

Scarlett takes the planter and puts in on the shelf by the sink so you can smell them when people open the door to enter and exit.

The other bouquet is pink and white stargazer lilies and hot pink roses and lighter pink carnations with some greens. You look at the card and see it’s from Lee Pace. It reads: “ _Wishing you a speedy recovery and hope you and Phantom are doing well.”_

“Oh! Those smell lovely too! It’s gonna smell like a flower shop in here!’ you giggle.

Graham and Aiden chuckle and Graham adds the flowers to your collection on the windowsill.

Scarlett looks at the time and nudges Aiden, who glances up at the clock and sees they need to get going to the studios. “We gotta get going, Harley. I gotta film some scenes this afternoon, and Scarlett’s gonna go check on the shop for you and Todd.” He tells you.

They both give you a hug and tell you they will see you later on. You wave goodbye and they head out.

The nurse comes in with your pain meds. “Are you ready for your meds, Harley?”

You nod and she gives them to you. You down them with your water and she makes a note in your chart on the hospital’s computer. Then she heads out after seeing if you needed anything.

You look at Graham and say, “Now what do we do?”

He chuckles. “Well, what would you like to do?”

You shrug. “I don’t know. Graham, can you tell me about your family? I don’t even know their names, you said your wife told you to tell me ‘welcome to the family’.” You said. “You must’ve been telling her about me.”

He chuckled. “Aye, Lass, I told her ‘bout you. How I met you, and how I was tryin’ to hook ya up with Rich. She wanted to see what ya looked like, so I sent her the pics I took.” He explained. “Didn’t want her worrying if the Papparazzi snuck photos of us when we all do stuff together.

Scarlet told me your parents died a few years ago and I mentioned it to Gwen… It was her idea, actually, to ‘adopt’ you, so to speak.” He giggled. Gwen is my wife. Our two daughters are Hope and Honor.” He tells you, “Honor was born in 2006 and Hope was born in 2012.” He says beaming with pride. “I’ll show you pics of them later.” He says. “They live in New Zealand where we have a house.” He tells you.

You look at him surprised. “I thought you were from Scotland, though?” you ask.

He chuckles. “I am, Lass, but I’ve lived all over the world. We decided to settle in New Zealand, though, after living there while we filmed The Hobbit.” He explained.

“Oh! I saw a lot of the bonus features on my Extended Edition DVD’s of the Hobbit. It looks absolutely wonderful! It’s on my bucket list of places to visit someday.” You tell him with a big grin.

He chuckles, “Well, Lass. I’m sure Rich wouldn’t bat an eye taking you to come visit us there. He loved it there as much as we did and considered buying property there, but he’s so busy with filming and such, he said he’d rather wait till he got older and started to slow down with work.” Graham tells you.

“Graham?” you ask.

“Yeah, Sweetheart?” he replies.

“I want to do something special for Rich, but I don’t know what to do. He doesn’t like to talk about himself, so trying to find out what kinds of things he likes, I’m finding is rather difficult. Do you think you could help me?” you ask. “I know he likes chocolate ice cream, wine, and reading. But that’s about it.”

Graham chuckles. “Yeah, he is an introvert and shy, so whenever people ask him personal questions, he tends to shy away from them.” He tells you. He gives you a few ideas of things Richard would like and suggests to just be observant, “You’ll learn more about him from just observing and listening, than from anything else, Lass.

He’s moody and grumpy sometimes, but don’t let it get to you. It’s just how he gets into characters he portrays sometimes. He’ll often take them home with him and struggle to let ‘em go. Maybe having you around will help ‘im with that, Lass.” Graham tells you.

“There’s so much I don’t know about the film industry.” You sigh. He asked if I’d come with him when he travels for the promotional stuff for the film too. I’ve never traveled very much tho. He said something about finding out the details for taking Phantom with too, so I’d feel safe.” You tell him.

Graham grins. “It would be nice for him to have ye with, Lass. I know I’d enjoy having you with us. My wife and kids don’t travel much with me. It’s such a long flight from New Zealand to the US and Europe that they don’t make it very often to join me for premieres. It’s a whirlwind of a time, but it’s a lot of fun. If you do come with, we’ll be sure ya are well taken care of.” He tells you.

You giggle and grin. “Graham, did you get my dress from Aiden’s? Don’t let Rich know anything about the dress. I don’t want him to see it or see me in it until he picks me up for the event! I want it to be a surprise!” you tell him.

He gives you a positively evil smirk and says, “Your wish, is my command, Sweetie. And yes, I picked it up from Aiden’s last night before I headed home. It’s in my closet in my bedroom. Scarlett said I should hang it up so it wouldn’t crease the velvet.” He tells you. “I’ll take ye to go have it altered to fit ye when they let ye outta here.” He says.

You grin and happily clap your hands. “I can’t wait!

Graham chuckles and rubs his beard, thinking.

“Graham, do you ever do Skype or Zoom or FaceTime your family? You’re always saying I remind you of your daughters.” You tell him. “I thought it would be nice to say hi to them and talk with them if it was okay with you. I don’t know how the time differences work between there and here though.” You mention to him.

He glances up at the clock and you can see him working out the time differences in his head.

“Well, Lass, it’s about 1am there right now. Well, if ya can wait till around 3 or 4 pm our time this afternoon which should be able to give them time to get up and get ready, then we can give them a zoom call, we’ll say “Hi” and I’ll introduce ya to them!” he tells you.

“For now, though, what do ya want to do?” he asks. Phantom comes over and sniffs all the flowers on the windowsill and ‘wuffs’ at them.

“What? Don’t you like all my pretty flowers, Phantom?” you ask. He chuffs and comes walking over to your bedside. Graham smiles and gives him a good scratch. “Do ya need to go outside, Boy?” he asks.

Phantom gives a short yip and Graham stands up. “I’ll go take him out to do his business, then we’ll be right back, Sweetheart. Did someone take him out last night or this morning?” he asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe the officer had one of the nurses take Phantom out. You’d have to ask him.” You tell Graham.

He nods and clips the leash on Phantom after he adjusts the service jacket. They head out and Graham stops to talk with the officer. The officer tells him he had one of the nurses take Phantom outside when he needed to go to the bathroom, and she brought him right back up. He did say they played with the rope toy for a bit having a tug of war.

Graham chuckled. “All right. Well, we’ll be back in a bit.” He tells the officer.


	22. Chapter 22

When Graham returned with Phantom, you were dozing. He quietly unhooked the leash and hung it on the handle of the closet. Then came around to the side of your bed.

You cracked open an eye and then looked over at him. He smiled. “Thought ya were sleepin’.” He said.

You shook your head. “Naah, just resting. Can you tell me about your travels and about Scotland?” you ask as Phantom hops up onto your bed and lies down at your feet. You motion for him to ‘come’ and you take his vest off for a while. He lays down at the side of your good leg and takes a nap. You hand the vest to Graham.

He gets a BIG grin on his face and nods. He asks you if your laptop is here and you nod. “It’s in my backpack. I think Scarlett put it in that closet over there.” You tell him.

He walks over to it and hangs Phantom’s vest over the side of the chair, then opens the closet and pulls out your backpack. He opens it up and pulls out your computer and the power cord for it. Then puts the backpack back in the closet and closes the door.

Graham hands you your laptop and swings around the bedside table. He helps you set up the computer and then starts googling different places he has been to and tells you different stories about the places he has seen. You both spent the morning with him sharing stuff like that and you learned a lot about Scotland, New Zealand and Graham.

You look up at the clock when a nurse appears at the door and asks if you’d like to order anything for lunch. You shrug and ask to see the menu. You look at the menu, but nothing really screams “eat me”. So you decline.

Graham chuckles. “Hospital food is never that good anyway. I can go get ya somethin’ Sweetie. What would like?”

You think. How about a Shawarma from Ali Baba’s West Side? I love their food!” you ask. He grins and nods, “Ok, Sweetie, I like their food too! I’ll go see if they’re open. If not, what would ya like?”

“Ohhh, Jacob’s Patty Melt (no onions) from Jacob’s Pickles!!!!” you tell him excitedly. He chuckles and tells you he’ll go see what he can find and will be back in a little bit.

Graham heads out and you recline the bed back a little bit. You doze off for a while trying to catch up on some sleep.

After about a half hour, you hear a soft knock on the door and Phantom’s soft “wuff”.

“Come in” you reply sleepily and move the bed so you’re sitting up more.

You grin when you see Martin, Amanda & Graham come walking in. “Look who I ran into at Jacob’s Pickles!” Graham exclaims.

Amanda giggles and comes to give you a hug. She takes the flowers and balloon Martin was holding and puts it on your bedside table. They were yellow and white daisy-like flowers with purple roses all put in a big, yellow ceramic coffee mug with a huge smiley face on it.

You grin “It’s so bright and sunny!” you exclaim. And chuckle at the ‘get well soon’ balloon with sparkly Band-Aids all over it. “Thank you!!!” you tell them

Martin smiles. “How are you feeling, Harley?” he asks as Amanda puts their flower bouquet on the counter by the sink, since your windowsill was running out of room.

“I’m feeling all right. I’m tired, but that’s cuz the dumb nurses wouldn’t let me sleep for more than 45 minutes at a time. The cop assigned to sit with me finally told them to bugger off and let me sleep for the night.” You giggle.

Martin and Amanda chuckle. “How’s the leg?” Amanda asks.

“It’s sore. I got some nice pain killers, but the doc said I have to stay off my feet for several days. It’s hard to sit upright, cuz it puts some pressure on the exit wound at the back of my thigh.” You explain. “But I’ll survive.” You say grinning.

“And who is this big ball of fluff?” Amanda says as she holds out her hand for Phantom to smell.

“This is Phantom. My security dog.” You tell her. “Phantom, this is Amanda and that’s Martin, they are our friends, ok?” you tell him.

Martin holds out his hand for Phantom to sniff and Phantom smells his hand too. He licks both Martin’s and Amanda’s hands and lets them pet him. Martin scratches Phantom along the collar and Phantom’s leg starts thumping on the bed making everyone laugh.

“I suppose he should get brushed at some point today… probably outside so his hair doesn’t end up floating all about in here.” You say.

Graham nods. “I’ll take him out and brush him for ye later on today, Sweetheart. Don’t worry. Might take him for a good walk too and let him burn off some energy, since he’s been cooped up for a day or so.” He tells you. “And I still gotta work off that effin huge bowl of ice cream Aiden bought us yesterday!” Graham says laughing.

You nod. “Thanks Graham.” You tell him.

Martin and Graham unpack the food they bought and you motion for Phantom to ‘get down’ and he jumps off the bed and goes to his food and water bowls and eats for a bit then goes to lie down on his bed and watch everyone.

Graham rolls the bedside table back in front of you and everyone grabs their food. You frown realizing your coffee and your water are both empty. “Could someone fill this with some water for me?” you ask holding up the water mug the nurse had given you.

Martin hops up and grabs it. He heads out to the nurse’s station for some ice and then fills it with water from the sink, comes back in and hands it back to you.

“Thanks Martin! I didn’t realize they had ice available!” you happily exclaim. He grins and gives you a wink.

“Martin told me about the ‘ice hockey’ game you had played with Richard. We tried it, and I must say it was quite fun!” Amanda giggles. “Thanks for telling him about it!” she tells you.

You grin and see Martin’s face go pink as he takes a bite of his food and Graham just laughs. “I do not want to know!!! So do not say anything!” he tells Martin and Amanda, while grinning from ear to ear.

You and Amanda just smirk and take a bite of your sandwiches. The four of you sit and talk as you eat. Martin and Graham sharing embarrassing stories about their times in New Zealand on set for The Hobbit films.

Once you all are done eating, you ask Graham if he could take some pics of each of the flower bouquets you have gotten. He nods and you hand him your phone and open up the Camera app on it. He goes around the room snapping photos of all the flowers and balloons you have gotten. Then he takes a pic of you with Martin & Amanda, then hands the phone to Martin who snaps a pic with you and Graham.

Amanda takes the phone and shoos Martin to get in the picture and she takes one of you, Graham and Martin as well.

“Oh! Here, Harley. Rich just sent you a text!” she exclaims as she hands you the phone.

_“Hi Love! How’s your day going? I’m on lunch right now. Been thinking ‘bout you all morning. How’s Phantom holding up?”_ he texts.

You reply, “ _Doing all right. Graham has been keeping me entertained. Got a LOT of flower deliveries! Thanks for the gorgeous roses, Sweetie! I love them! <3 <3 <3” _You send to him along with the photos of the flowers you’ve gotten so far.

“ _Graham got me lunch and Martin and Amanda are here having lunch with me and Graham right now.”_ you send with the pics of you with them.

He replies, “ _Glad you’re being entertained. Miss you! Bed was too cold last night without you in it._ _☹_ _”_ he replies.

“ _Awwww, miss you too Honey! Phantom says ‘hi!’ and Graham took him outside a little while ago. Phantom’s been really good and is enjoying his doggy bed.”_ You reply and snap a pic of Phantom watching you all with a lovesick puppy look.

Richard replies, “ _Awww! He looks so bored! Didn’t Graham and Lee get him any toys to play with?_ ”

You ask Graham if they got Phantom any toys to play with. He gets up and finds the bag with the toys in it. He pulls out the squeaky mallard duck and the rope toy. Phantom’s head pops up and his tail starts wagging. “wuff” he says quietly.

Graham chuckles and cuts off the tags for the duck then tosses it to Phantom who catches it and starts shaking it back and forth, making the thing squeak. Graham tries to take it away and they end up in a tug of war, making everyone laugh till they are crying.

Finally, Phantom loses his grip on the toy and it goes flying into Graham’s chest. You laugh when you see the astonished look on Graham’s face. Martin and Amanda are practically rolling on the floor they are laughing so hard and Phantom just gives Graham and you this smug look and he goes back to his bed and lays down.

You Text back to Richard, ‘ _Yes, they got him some toys, just forgot to take them out of the bag. He just played tug of war with Graham and a squeaky mallard duck. Phantom tugged then let go of it and it went flying back and hit Graham square in the chest. Graham had an astonished look on his face & Phantom looked at him smugly and went to lie down on his bed. LOL!!!!”_

You get a text back with “ _ROTFLOL and a laughing while crying emoji. Wish I could’ve seen that one! Back to work, Sweetie. See you in a few hours when I’m done for the day. Xoxo Rich”_

Graham chuckles and tosses Phantom the duck. It lands on his foot and Phantom shoves it off to the side of the bed and noses it till it lands on the floor next to the bed and out of the way. Graham looks over at Martin and Amanda and shakes his head. “Awww, come on, it wasn’t THAT funny!” he states, frowning.

They crack up again and laugh some more. “Oh! I wish I would’ve recorded that, Graham!” Martin finally gets out. “The look of utter shock on your face was priceless when he let go of the duck and it hit you square in the chest!” he says and starts giggling again.

Graham rolls his eyes and looks at you. You’re giggling and trying to be quiet, but lose it when he turns his glare on you. “Oh, lighten up Pops! He was just playing, but I do think he did that on purpose. He had such a smug look on his face!” you say giggling again.

Graham smiles at seeing you giggling once again. “Well as long as it gets you to smile, then I guess I can’t be too mad at him.” Graham replies. “Though, we should probably get things cleaned up. Rich said the lawyer was to be here for 1:30pm.” He tells you.

You nod, then decide you should probably get some help to the restroom. You call for the nurse while Graham, Martin & Amanda clean things up. The nurse helps you out of bed and hands you crutches. She checks the bullet wounds and then helps you to the restroom.

You don’t notice the looks on your friends’ faces when they see your bare legs and all the scars on them. Graham is surprised and frowns. Martin looks at Graham then at Amanda. Amanda shrugs and looks at you worried.

When you get into the bathroom and the door is closed, Martin finally asks quietly what they all are thinking. “Where did she get all those scars from?”

Graham shrugs and rubs his beard. “I have no idea. They look old though. Like she’s had them for a while.”

Amanda says quietly. “My guess is she either has been abused by her ex-boyfriends, or she had a cutting habit. It’s not really any of our business, though. If she wants to share about it, she will, in time. No prodding!” She tells them while pointing a finger at each of them in warning. “It’s probably why she is in pants all the time.”

Graham thinks back to when you had been trying on the skirts and dresses. “I don’t recall seeing them though when she was trying on the skirts at the store the first day I met her. She had bare legs then!

Amanda chuckles, “Graham, there are nylons that we wear that are skin tone colored. They are designed to hide things like scars, tattoos, and other imperfections we don’t want the world to see when we wear dresses and skirts. She probably had a pair on when she was shopping, figuring she would be trying on skirts and dresses.” She replies.

They finish cleaning up the room and you come hobbling out on the crutches and stop at the sink to wash your hands. Then you groan and hobble over to the bed. You lower it a little so you can sit on the edge and scoot yourself back.

You hand the crutches to Amanda and she leans them against the wall.

“God, I hate these shorts!” you reply with a laugh, feeling some kind of tension in the air, but not being sure what caused it. “Don’t they have anything in black or a little better fitting!” you say giggling.

It seems to break the tension and Graham and Martin chuckle. “What, Blue not your color?” Martin teases.

You grin, “Not this hideous shade of it, no! I feel like I’m swimming in them!” you reply giggling. You look down and sigh. “I suppose you’re wondering how I got all the scars.” You say quietly.

They all look at each other nervously. You see their uncertainty.

“It’s ok. You’re my friends, and you deserve to know.” You explain.

“Honey, you don’t have to tell us if you aren’t comfortable doing so.” Amanda tells you. “We’ll understand and won’t be upset.”

“It’s ok. I don’t mind.” You reply. “They are from my old boyfriends. They used me as their plaything and treated me horribly. I didn’t realize it was abnormal, until a doctor asked about it when I went in for a physical. My exes were into, what did the doctor call it??? They were into BDSM, and I ended up being the naïve victim…I guess you could say.

I didn’t know any better and believed what they had told me. It’s how I got such a high pain tolerance, how I can drink the strongest whiskey the Squawking Raven has. It hurts, but my brain doesn’t react to the pain anymore.” You explain. “It registers it, but just goes, ‘Meh’, and doesn’t send a signal to react to it.”

Your friends stare at you for a moment then look at each other wide-eyed. “Wow. You really _have_ been through the wringer, haven’t you!” Amanda says quietly. “Well stick with Rich, Sweetheart. He’ll never treat you like that.” She tells you. “He’s always been a sweet man and very, very kind.” She encourages.

You nod. “I hope to. I’ve never had someone treat me the way he does. I still feel like I fell into some dream and keep waiting to wake up.” You say sheepishly as you tuck your legs back under the blankets. You wince a couple times from moving your injured leg, but don’t let it bug you too much.

“Well, Harley, we gotta get going. We still have a bunch of errands to run today.” Martin tells you. “Thanks for letting us come and crash your lunch.” He says grinning. “And please do stay with Rich. We haven’t seen him so happy in a very long time. You’re good for each other.” He tells you and gives you a hug. Amanda does too.

“Thanks, you two.” You reply. “You can come crash my party here at the hospital any time. I’m stuck here for the next week according to the Doc.” You sigh.

They grin and nod. “We’ll come visit again.” They both promise and wave goodbye.

Graham chuckles at them as they leave. He sits down and looks at you. “Sweetie, does Rich know about these scars on your legs?” he asks.

You nod. “Yeah. He saw them the other night when he offered me the shirt and sweatpants for pajamas.

Graham nodded. “If you don’t mind me asking, how did he react? Did you tell him how you got them?” he asks.

You sigh. “I think he was upset at first. He seemed to be seething and trying to control his temper. He reached over, pulled me against him and just held me close. I could hear his heart pounding in his chest and him growling as I told him how I got the scars. He seemed to calm down though after we were able to talk about it.

I could tell he wanted to pummel my ex though when he saw him at Aiden’s, before my ex pulled the gun on us. Rich grabbed me and held me close as he backed us up to the car. His heart was racing, and he had one hand in a tight fist, like he wanted to just beat the guy to a bloody pulp.” You explain to Graham.

Graham nodded. “Well, Sweetheart, that’s understandable. I think if I would’ve known about that earlier, I may have done it for him. When I came out and saw you laying there in Rich’s arms and the look on his face I was ready to strangle the guy, but Phantom had his arm in his mouth and was sitting on him, growling, so I let Phantom handle him. So, I just punched the other guy to keep him knocked out till the cops got there.

We were so scared he had shot you someplace that was more critical, though the Doc said the bullet just barely missed your main artery, so you were lucky. Somehow, he missed Rich’s leg though and hit yours. We still can’t figure that one out!” Graham informs you.

You shrug. “Lucky shot, I guess.”


	23. Chapter 23

You both look up when you hear a knock at the door, and Phantom ‘wuffs’ softly. “Come in!” you call out.

A tall, thin, older woman appears and introduces herself as Janice Rightborough, attorney at law. She explains that she is Rich’s lawyer and he asked her to come talk with you since you were unable to come to her office.

You introduce Graham and yourself and then introduce her to Phantom., who had come over to your side of the bed to investigate who this new person was. She lets him sniff her hand and he puts his head in it wanting scratches from her. She chuckles and obliges him for a moment.

She moves over to the chair next to your bed and sits down. She explains everything to you. How the process works, what to expect and what the possible outcomes are for your case. She asks you to give her your account of everything.

You tell her how you met your ex at a party a friend was having. How the two of you hit it off and began dating, then he started to get possessive and violent and how he would use you sexually and you show her the cuts on your legs, and you whisper to her that they go all the way up your leg and are also on your privates. Her eyes get wide and she frowns. You tell her you were afraid to leave him as you had no family and he had cut you off from most of your friends.

You explain about the health issues you started to have while dating him and what your doctor had told you. You show her the ultrasound photos of the uterine fibroids that you had saved to your phone’s photo app. And explained that you had to have a hysterectomy which removed your womb, and ovaries just after Christmas last year and that it took 3 months to recover fully from it.

Janice asked a few questions about the recovery, which you answered, explaining that your ex didn’t want you to have the surgery and that he didn’t believe what the doctor had said. You told Janice what he had said to you and what he called you and how much it hurt you. You explain that as soon as you had the surgery, he broke up with you and what he said and did at that time.

Phantom can tell you’re getting upset having to remember all of this and recount it. He nuzzles your hand and whines quietly trying to comfort you.

You take a moment and try to calm down.

You explain how you got cleared by your doctor to resume normal activities finally, and how Scarlett took you for a makeover and shopping to try to pull you out of the depression you had fallen into for the three months of your recovery. You explained how you felt, and Janice asked if Scarlett’s attempt helped you to feel better. You nod.

You explain how you met Graham, and then how you all ended up at the same bar that night and how you ended up meeting Richard.

You explain how Scarlett went home with Aiden, leaving you with Richard, thinking he’d take you home. You tell Janice why you didn’t let Richard take you home, and told her what had happened in the past when you had allowed a man to do that once before.

Graham and Janice were both surprised and understood your reasoning. You explained how you walked home because you had forgotten your phone at the apartment when you left in a hurry with Scarlett.

You tell her how your ex stalked you off and on over the three months you were recovering, and how the police wouldn’t do anything about it cuz he never tried to physically attack you until that night.

You tell her what happened, and how you ended up staying with Aiden and Scarlett. You explain how Alex and his officers moved your belongings out of the old apartment for you and are storing them someplace secure. Then how you found out that your ex had gotten out of jail and had burned your old apartment to the ground making 3 families lose their homes and possessions because he didn’t realize you had moved out of there.

You tell her about Todd hiring you and how your ex sent someone to find you and how the guy stalked you at work all day, then how he got arrested. You fill her in on how your ex and one of his lackeys came in and shot Todd in the back then dragged him to the open area of the shop. and beat him severely because he refused to tell them where you were hiding out after he realized what was going on.

You tell Janice that if it wasn’t for Graham finding him when he did, Todd might not have survived the attack, but lucky for Todd, Graham found him and got help right away.

You fill Janice in on how your ex and his lackeys all stalked your friends, showing up at their homes / apartments and at the studio where they work currently. You tell her about your ex calling you from his old phone number to threaten you and your friends and how he admitted to starting the fire in your old apartment, and shooting your boss all because you wouldn’t stay away from Richard, like your ex had ordered you to. You explain he wants you back only so he can use you as his sex toy and nothing more.

You sniffle a few times and are close to tears by now. Graham is holding your hand and gives it a supportive, gentle squeeze.

“I never wanted to cause so much mayhem in these wonderful people’s lives. They have been so helpful, patient, supportive, kind and caring towards me. They don’t deserve all this. I feel horrible that people have lost their homes, their belongings, and nearly their lives just because my ex is trying to scare me to go back to him!” you cry. “He is doing this because he knows he can’t do it directly to me, not without obviously violating the restraining order, so he goes after those closest to me, like in Chess.

But I think he didn’t realize that by calling me and threatening me and my friends over the phone like he did, he violated the restraining order.” You tell her, through sniffles.

She hands you the tissue box from off the counter. You let go of Graham’s hand to pull out some tissues to dry your tears.

Phantom is frantically trying to get you to stop crying and is nuzzling your hand and bum leg and is quietly whining. You wince when his nose nudges your bum thigh.

Graham pets him to calm him down and lets you talk with Janice. Phantom is having none of it and is wanting up on the bed with you. You signal him to ‘go’ and he whines and goes to his bed. Graham stands up and grabs the leash. “Come on, boy, let’s go for a walk and let the ladies talk for a bit.” He tells the dog. Phantom gets up and whines, but follows Graham out the door.

Janice comforts you and tells you not to worry. She is already working with the police and needs to know if you want to press charges.

You nod and tell her to throw the book at him. He deserves whatever he gets.

She asks you why you never reported him for all the physical abuse you suffered at his hands. You tell her he wasn’t the only one to give you the scars on your legs. Your two previous boyfriends to him treated you the same way. You explain that all three threatened you if you reported them and you were rarely left alone. He was with you all the time and rarely left you unattended. He as well as the prior two before him all threatened you as well that if you ever told anyone or reported it that they would kill your family or you. You were too afraid to report it and no one but your doctor, the nurses who took care of you in the hospital, and Scarlett knew about it until you met Richard. And you told your doc, nurses & Scarlett not to report it for fear of what your Ex might do to you. You tell Janice to talk to the nurse named Ann who works the overnight shift here. She took care of you the last time you were brought in from your ex’s abuse.

Janice quietly asks if Richard knows about all these scars too. You tell her that you let him see them two nights ago when you let him make love to you for the first time. But none of his friends know that you two have done that. You tell her he likes his privacy and doesn’t ‘kiss and tell’. She nods and understands. You let Janice know that Richard doesn’t know all your history with your exes yet. You haven’t told him what all they did to you and how you nearly lost your life from the last ex’s treatment of you.

She asks you how Richard reacted to seeing the scars and learning what you have shared. You tell her he was upset at first, but was quick to reassure you he was not mad at you, but at the ones who hurt you and gave you the scars. You tell her what he said about loving you, your brokenness and all. You tell her how being with him makes you feel protected and safe and like he is mending your broken pieces back together slowly with his love and affection and kindness. You tell her that he treats you like a treasure, like a princess.

She smiles and tells you that you are indeed a lucky woman to find someone so understanding. She asks you a few more questions and then tells you that is all she will be needing for now.

The two of you talk for a bit just to get to know each other better and wait for Graham and Phantom to return.

When they do, Janice looks over to Graham and thanks him for joining you and keeping you company today. He nods and Janice tells you both that you will need to make sure you have Skype up and working on your laptop tomorrow. She tells you what time the Judge will call and to be ready to share with him, what you told her, and to be ready to honestly answer his questions.

You nod and she tells you she will be at the hearing with the judge so they can discuss anything else. She says she will come see you and let you know how things went and what to expect for the next hearing on Monday.

You and Graham both thank her, and she says goodbye and heads out.

“Sorry Phantom got so whiny. He knew ya were upset.” Graham tells you.

“I know. Graham. Thanks for taking him out for a walk.” You reply quietly.

Phantom jumps up on the bed and comes and snuggles on your good side. You pet him and tell him he’s a good boy. He gives you the lovesick puppy look that reminds you of the look Richard had on his face the day before. You snap a picture and put it into the app on your phone. You make a photo where Rich’s photo you took is on one side and Phantom’s is on the other. You send it to him with a message, “ _See you DO have the lovesick puppy look nailed! Ha!_ _😉_ _”_

Graham chuckles at the dog’s antics and then looks at you with a little bit of awe on his face. He shakes his head in disbelief and sighs. “Lass, I didn’t realize what all ya had endured with yer exes. I’m terribly sorry ya had to go through all that. Yer a real trooper to have survived it.” He tells you as he pats your hand and holds it gently in his huge mitts.

You sigh, “And that was just with him, you don’t want to know what I had to endure with the two before him.” You tell him with your head down. “Richard is the first ‘nice guy’ I’ve ever dated. No guy has ever treated me the way Richard does.” You say quietly.

Graham looks at you in disbelief. Then shakes his head. “Wow, Lass. You got balls of steel if you had three guys in a row who treated you horribly and you survived and are still the sassy little ray of sparky sunshine that you are!” he tells you. “If ya don’t mind me askin’ how long were you with those guys before you met us?” He asks curiously. “Some of those scars on yer legs looked pretty old.”

You sigh, “I was with the first guy for 2 years before I was finally able to get away from him. Scarlett’s family helped me escape. My family had moved to here and Scarlett’s family had also moved out here too. Our Dads worked in the same field and were both transferred out here around the same time. I had stayed behind, because of my first ex.

When I had had enough, Scarlett’s parents paid for a one way train ticket. I took the little bit of belongings I had, crammed them into my backpack and messenger bag and fled one night when they left me alone and unsupervised for an hour. I took a cab to the train station and got on the train and came out here. I called the police and told them I was not missing, and that I was fleeing an abusive relationship and to not give any info to anyone looking for me from that area.

The second boyfriend I had, I met at my job. I was waitressing at Hooter’s and he was a regular that would come in with the linemen who worked on power lines. He was really nice at first and always tipped me well. One day he asked me out and when I said yes, we dated for about a month, then he started getting more and more pushy and wanting sex. He told me he loved me and would be good to me, but the longer we dated, the meaner he got. He was super possessive and would lock me in his ‘dungeon’ in his basement for days and would call me in sick to work so no one would suspect. I was too afraid and embarrassed to report him. We were together for 3 years.

Finally, Scarlett convinced me to leave him and again, helped me to escape and we got apartments in the same building. But she was on the third floor and I was on the 8th.

She and I went to a party and I met Ben there, my latest ex. He again, was nice at first, but soon switched and became mean and possessive and demanded sex. If I refused, he’d beat me and pitched a huge temper tantrum and would tie me up, torture and rape me.” You explain, with tears running down your cheeks. I didn’t tell Rich about the first two exes. He was already upset enough just hearing about my latest one. And I couldn’t tell him everything with that ex either! I didn’t want to overwhelm him.” you tell Graham.

He rubs his face in shock at what you’ve revealed to him about your past. “Ya really haven’t had luck with men, have ya lass?” he said quietly.

You shake your head, no.

“How long were ya with the last one?” he asked.

“A year and a half before he dumped me.” You replied.

“Try not to dwell too much on the past, Lass. Ya can’t change it, ya can only learn from it and move forward. You’re better off without that looser. You’ve found a new love and have been doing pretty well with the whole ‘move forward’ part, so let’s focus on that, ok?” he tells you.

You nod.

“I promise ya, lass, Rich would never treat ya like that. If he did, I’d pummel the shit out of him even if I had to fly half way across the world to do so. I’m sure Aiden and Martin would also do so as well!” he tells ya. “Rich has a temper and is often moody, but I believe he would never treat you like that. When he gets moody, just give him his space and don’t say anything till he calms down. He’ll let you know when he has calmed down and is ready to talk. Then talk with him about how you’re feeling and how he is feeling.” Graham tells you and then gives you a hug.

“So now what do we want to do?” he asks you.

You pull out your phone, turn on the ringer, and see it is almost 3pm. You have a message and you open it to see it is from Richard: “ _Hey, Sweetheart. It’s a long day, but we’re nearing the end. Am eagerly awaiting the final cut, so I can go and see your sweet face and hold you in my arms. <3 <3 <3 Okay, maybe I do nail the puppy dog look… you’re right. Ugh! LOL! See you when I’m done love, Gotta go. Ttyl. Xoxoxo – Rich.”_

You grin and show it to Graham, who chuckles. “I can’t believe you got him to admit that! How did you do that?” he asks.

You show him the picture collage you made with Phantom’s and Richard’s pic of their Lovesick Puppy eyes. He grins, “Yup, nails it!” he says, chuckling.

“How about we see if Aiden and Scarlett are done and want to come hang out. Maybe we can find a game to play or something.” You suggest.

Graham grins and nods.


	24. Chapter 24

You text Scarlett while Graham plays tug of war with Phantom with the rope toy. 

“Hey Scar, you guys done filming yet? Want to come hang out and maybe we can find a game we all can have fun playing?” you message her and send it off.

She replies, “Sure! Aiden just got done filming for the day, we’ll be up in a bit. He got a new game he wants to play with us, so we’ll bring it when we come.” 

You grin and watch Graham and Phantom play for a while. Laughing at Phantom’s game of tug and let go. He tugs the toy until Graham’s arms are almost straight out, then he lets go of the toy and it flies back and smacks Graham in the chest.

After a few rounds of that, Graham finally caught on that that was the game Phantom was playing and he surprised the dog and did it back to him. Waiting till Phantom was pulling, Graham let go. Phantom stumbled back and just looked at the two of you with a dumbfounded look on his face like he was thinking, “Wait, that wasn’t supposed to happen! I’m supposed to be the one letting go!”

You and Graham just cracked up at the look on the dog’s face. Phantom huffed and went to pout on his bed and chewed on his rawhide bone. 

Phantom’s ear pops up and he turns his head towards the hospital room’s door, and he trots over to it and lets out a soft ‘Wuff’ letting Graham know someone else was there. Graham goes over and signals for Phantom to ‘stay’ and he opens the door. Aiden and Scarlett are walking up the hallway and Phantom’s tail starts wagging when he hears them. 

‘Wuff’ he says again, and Graham looks down at the dog, then back at you, you nod, and he signals ‘go’ and lets Phantom go greet Aiden and Scarlett. They catch him and pet him, and signal ‘come’ and he follows them back up to the door. 

They enter and greet you. You see what Scarlett is carrying. She shows you it’s a game called “Apples to Apples” and says they thought it would be fun to play with you and Graham and Rich when he was done with work. 

You look at Graham and he is reading the instructions and gets a HUGE grin on his face. “Oh, heck ya! We gotta play this!!!” he replies excitedly. 

You grin and Graham hands you the instructions to read through. You do so and realize it does sound like a lot of fun. “Too bad we can’t have some drinks in here while we play it. But the hospital won’t allow it.” You say. 

You all decide to play a few rounds to get the feeling for the game and then when it hits 4pm, Graham tells Aiden and Scarlett that he is going to call his wife on Zoom on your computer and asks if he wants to say ‘hi’ and introduce Scarlett.

Aiden excitedly nods and so you all gather around your laptop after you lower the bed railings so everyone can squeeze in around you. 

Graham makes the Zoom call and Gwen answers and greets him. Then he lets Aiden say ‘hi’ and introduces Scarlett to Gwen and the girls, who are excited to see Aiden. The two young girls ask when he’s coming back for a visit. He chuckles and says he isn’t sure yet. They greet Scarlett and talk with her a little bit, then Scarlett introduces you to them and tells them you are Richard’s girlfriend. 

Gwen’s face lights up. “OH! You’re the one we decided to ‘adopt’! The one Graham’s been telling me about!” she says excitedly. You grin and nod. “Yup. That’s me. ‘Hi Mom!’ you say, giggling.

She gets a big smile! “Girls, come meet your new big sister your Dad and I unofficially adopted!” you hear the girls squeal and come running into the picture. ‘Which one is she?” the younger one asks. 

You wave, “That’d be me.” You tell them. They wave and say ‘hi!’ and ask you all kinds of questions, making Graham and Gwen chuckle. You answer their questions and ask them a few like what do they like, favourtie colors, hobbies. They tell you then their Mom shoos them off to go finish their breakfast. 

She asks how things are going, and you tell her you met with the attorney Rich hired to go after your ex. You tell her you’re pressing charges against your ex and told the lawyer to throw the book at him. 

She chuckles and nods. 

You tell her you meet with the judge tomorrow and will go from there on that aspect of things.

She asks how’s things going with Richard and you grin. 

“They are going good. He is taking it slow and is treating me well. I’m not used to being treated with such kindness and consideration. So, it is taking me some time to get used to it.” You tell her. “He makes me feel safe and extremely loved and cared for.” You say. 

She grins happily.

“He asked me to walk the Red Carpet with him at his and Graham’s new movie Premieres and wants me to travel with him for the promos.” You tell her, giggling. “Kinda took me by surprise!” 

Gwen gets a HUGE grin on her face, “Well, then Grammy, I think we had better come for a visit and celebrate your new movie and our new family member!” She tells him. 

His eyes get HUGE and he looks surprised, “You sure, sweetie? It’s an awful long flight! And I know how you hate flying!” he reminds her. 

“I know, Graham, but I want to be there with you and so do the girls. They’re old enough now and want to walk the Red Carpet with Daddy.” She tells him. 

You all hear the girls begging, “PLEEEEEAAAAASSSSEEE Poppa!!!” 

You look up at Graham and can tell he is a big pushover and he grins and says, “Oh all right! I will talk to the director and my assistant and get my ladies their tickets.” 

You all laugh as you hear his girls scream excitedly in the background and Gwen is covering her ears. 

Once the girls calm down you feel Phantom nuzzling your leg. You motion ‘up’ and he pops up onto the bed to see what is making all the commotion on the table top. Aiden and Scarlett move out of the way so Phantom can come sit next to you on your right side. You see Gwen grin and say, “And who is that ball of fluff? Girls! Come see this!’ she tells them.

They come running back to stand by their Mom and are looking eagerly into the computer screen. 

“This,” you say, “Is my service / protection dog. His name is Phantom. Graham & Richard bought him and paid for training for me so Phantom can keep me safe from my ex and anyone else who wishes to harm me.” You explain. 

“AWWW! Hi Phantom!!!” the young girls say! “What kind of dog is he?” they ask. You tell them that Phantom is a mix between two Belgian Breeds, one is the sheepdog, the other starts with a T and you can never remember how to say it. Which makes everyone laugh. 

Phantom says, “Wuff!” when he hears voices, but you don’t think he understands where they are coming from. He hops back down onto the floor and goes to lie down by the door. 

You tell them that they will meet him when they come for a visit and the girls can have fun playing with him then when he isn’t in his service dog vest. They get excited and tell you all they can’t wait to come visit.

You grin and look up at Graham, who is just beaming. 

“Did you get her gift, Graham?” Gwen asked after shooing the girls back to their breakfast.   
“Yes, my Love, I gave it to her. We were going to have it fitted today, but she ended up being attacked by her ex yesterday afternoon as Rich and her got out of the car with Phantom in front of Aiden’s apartment. Phantom attacked her ex, but he got off a shot before Phantom could bring him down. The bullet hit Harley’s leg so she is in the hospital for the next week.” He explains.

“Once she is released from the Hospital, I will take her to have the dress fitted properly.”   
She smiles and nods. “Graham sent me pics of the dress and the corset. It will look wonderful on the Red Carpet, sweetheart!” she tells you. “I look forward to meeting you in person so I can give you a big hug.” She says excitedly to you, making you grin. 

“I look forward to it too.” You tell her. 

You let Graham and Gwen talk for a bit and when they are done, you all tell them goodbye and they wave back and say, “See you all soon!” the girls say, “Bye Poppa! See you when we get there!” and they hug the monitor. 

Graham chuckles and blows them kisses. Then they sign off. 

Aiden looks up at Graham and says, “You’re such a pushover! They have gotten so Big! What is your wife feeding them! Last time I saw them them, Hope was maybe the size Honor is and honor was just barely toddling around!!!” 

Graham just beams. “Just good New Zealand cooking, Aid. Kids grow like weeds at that age! Though Hope will start slowing down with the growth spurts pretty soon.” He tells Aiden. 

Just then you get a text from Rich. “FINALLY DONE! 😊 Be there soon! Who’s all up there? I’ll pick up supper for all of us.” 

You reply, “YAY!!!!! Graham, Aiden, Scarlett and I are all here with Phantom. You just missed the zoom call with Gwen, Hope and Honor though.” you message back.

He replies, “What?!?! Awww nuts! Well, I’m on my way. Should be there in about 20 min.” he tells you.

You chuckle. “Guys? Mind if I give you the boot for a few minutes. I’d like to get cleaned up a little more before Rich shows up???” you ask. 

Graham grins and nods. “Sure, Sweetheart. We’ll go take Phantom for a good long walk around the block a couple times.” He tells you. “Just text us when you’re ready for us to head back up.” He tells you and gives you a kiss on your forehead.

They take Phantom and hook him up to the leash and grab the rope toy and head down to the outdoors.


	25. Chapter 25

Scarlett and you dig through the clothes she brought for you. The nurse shows her how you can bathe in the bathroom area by sitting on the shower bench, and she helps you to the bench so you can get freshened up. She wraps your injured thigh with cellophane wrap tight enough to keep water out of the bullet wound, but not so tight it is uncomfortable or cuts off circulation.

You end up having a sponge bath since you can’t really stand to shower, and Scarlett washes your hair and helps you rinse it out. You hand her the hair oil and she applies it to your hair and combs it out while you sit on the shower bench.

“I never realized how much a bullet through the leg hurts. It’s SO uncomfortable to sit on anything with this damn hole in my leg!” you complain.

She just chuckles. “Well at least it’s in a place that didn’t have any major organs! Rich said Ben had the gun pointed at your chest!” she said.

You nod.

“I hope this doesn’t affect how I’m going to walk.” You reply. “I don’t get how he was able to shoot my thigh, though without hitting Rich!” you say, puzzled.

“Just chalk it up to a lucky shot, Sweetheart. Rich is incredibly lucky it didn’t hit him! Especially since your ex had the gun pointed at your chest. It would have really caused problems for Rich and the movie producers, since he is going to be so busy for the next few months with the movie promos and red carpets!” She reminds you. “Just thank your lucky stars it was ‘just a minor flesh wound!” and that you’re ‘not dead yet!” she teases, knowing how you both like Monty Python.

You giggle. Then say, “I know, Scarlett, but I hate just sitting around here! You know me! I’ve spent the last three months just sitting around doing nothing! And Rich and I were finally getting closer physically and emotionally! I finally felt comfortable letting him cuddle me and kiss me, and touch me more! Now we can’t cuz of the stupid monitors!!!!” you grumble.

Scarlett chuckles, “Hon, another week isn’t gonna kill ya nor your relationship!” she smirks. “So have ya gotten laid by him yet?” she asks with an evil grin.

You smack her. “None of your business!” you say and stick out your tongue.

Scarlett giggles… “Well?”

“I’m not at liberty to discuss my relationship with anyone but my Dr. and my Boyfriend.” You reply with a knowing smirk. “My boyfriend is a very private person and doesn’t like it when people get nosey about his love life.” You say with a satisfied grin.

“What?!?!” Scarlett teases. “We ALWAYS talk about our love lives and compare and swap notes!” she pouts. “Can you at least tell me if he’s a good kisser?” she asks.

You grin & nod.

She smirks. “So, what’s this ‘ice hockey’ I keep hearing Martin and Amanda talking about?” She asks.

You spend the next few minutes explaining it to her and how you and Rich came up with it. You laugh and tell her he wanted to call it, ‘pass the ice’ but you thought ‘ice hockey’ sounded better.

Scarlett laughed. “OOOOoooohhh now I’m gonna have to try that with Aiden! You should’ve seen how horny he was after we got home from the club the night we did the Pretty Woman and Abba dances! Oh my gosh!!! He fucked me all night long! I could hardly walk straight the next day!!!” she exclaimed. “He’s got the stamina of a stallion!” she giggles. “And his kisses are to die for!” she squeals with glee.

You just smile and smirk, thinking to yourself, “If you only knew what Richard’s are like and how he not only has the stamina of a stallion, but is hung like one too!”

You are snapped back into reality when Scarlett pokes you, “Are you even listening to me?” she asks.

“Hmmm?” you say, “Sorry, was lost in thought dreaming about my handsome man’s kisses.” You reply, grinning.

Scarlett rolls her eyes. “I said, we need to get you back up and dressed. Shall I go get the nurse and see if she can find you a clean pair of shorts?” Scarlett asks.

You nod. “And see if they have a size smaller than what she gave me, those were WAY too big and baggy for me!” you tell her.

Scarlett nods and hands you a bath towel to wrap up in.

She goes to get the nurse, who comes back in with a pair of hospital shorts for you. She helps you into them and you stand on your good leg and hike them up the rest of the way. Happy they fit you better. You sit back down on the bench once Scarlett dries it off with the towel and the nurse helps you get a top on that Scarlett chose for you. The nurse helps you back to your bed, and you sit on the edge as the nurse hooks up your ports to the IV machines again. Then unwraps the cellophane from your leg and rebandages your wounds. Then she helps you sit back down on the bed and leaves you to do what you like.

You scoot back onto the bed and decide to just braid your hair in two braids and let them hang down over your shoulders.

You had just texted Graham when you hear a knock at the door. You pull out your ylang ylang perfume bottle and put a dab on by your ears and on your wrists and one on your collar bone junction. You rub it into your skin and then nod at Scarlett to let the person in. You set your bag down on the floor by the bed out of the way.

You grin when you see your Honey come walking in with a bouquet of brightly colored red carnations, yellow daisies as well as purple monte casino and green button poms in a vase with colored ribbons around it and a “get well soon” mini balloon on a sick poking out the top of the bouquet, and a stuffed black dog parked in his arm.

Giggling, you say, “You already got me flowers!” and he chuckles as he sets them down on your table and gives you a kiss, and groans at how good you smell. He hands you the black stuffed dog and you grin seeing it has an “I love you” shirt on it.

“These are from the director of my movie. When he heard what had happened, we decided to film as much as we could on Friday and Saturday, so I can have tomorrow and Monday off. He felt bad not being able to give me more time off and so he sent the flowers with me to give to you.” Rich explained.

“And the stuffed dog?” you ask.

He grins. “I saw it in the gift shop on my way in and couldn’t resist. It reminded me of the pic you sent me with me and Phantom giving you the same look.” He grinned.

You chuckled as he sat down next to you on the bed. You scooted over more so he could have enough room to sit and be comfortable. He snuggled next to you and Scarlett giggled and rolled her eyes. “Someone missed you today!” she teased.

Richard just grinned and peppered you with kisses. “You smell divine, my Love.” He whispered in your ear as he nibbled it. Ignoring the beeping heart monitor as your pulse increased.

“Romeo, you better reign it in or the nurses will be in here scolding you if you don’t.” Scarlett warned. Rich just smirked and stuck his tongue out at her.

She just chuckled, “Oh, that’s real mature, there big guy!” she giggled. Rich just looks at her and raises an eyebrow and gives her just a hint of a smirk.

“I know that look! You did it enough on Robin Hood! And No, they won’t let you get away with it.” She replies giggling.

Richard gives her a grin and goes back to peppering your face with kisses, making you giggle. He doesn’t stop till he hears Graham and Aiden coming up the hallway talking. Then he finally calms himself down and cuddles you in his arms and you enjoy leaning against his chest and having his arms around you.

“I missed you today too.” You whisper as you give him a peck on his cheek. He grins and looks down at you just as Graham and Aiden come in with Phantom.

Graham looks up and sees him sitting on the bed with you and says, “Hey! Where’s supper?”

Rich chuckles. “It’ll be here soon. I ordered it on my way here and told them to deliver it here.”

All of a sudden there’s a knock at the door and Phantom “wuffs” and goes to the door sniffing.

“I bet that’s supper. Phantom, come here.” Aiden says as he makes the hand motion for ‘come’.

Scarlett goes and opens the door and a young man gives her the food and a hand full of fortune cookies. She thanks him and hands him some cash for a tip.

She brings the food in and sets it all out on the table. Everyone’s mouths are watering seeing all the Chinese food Rich ordered. Aiden goes to the Cafeteria and grabs paper plates and plastic silverware and napkins and stuff for everyone to drink.

He comes in and they have the food all open and ready to go. He hands out the plates and napkins and plastic silverware so they can dish up what they want.

You giggle and happily scoop up the beef and broccoli and Richard cringes when you dig for the big pieces of broccoli. “You _like_ broccoli?” he asks.

You nod, and pop a big piece in your mouth with the chopsticks, then grin. He shakes his head and says, “Well, more for you then.”

You and Scarlett grin and dig into the beef and Broccoli, making everyone else chuckle. “Why did you buy it if no one else likes it?” you ask him after realizing no one else wanted any.

He chuckled. “Aiden said you and Scarlett liked it, so I got it for you two.”

Scarlett looks at Aiden and then at Rich and then at you. “Awwwww, I love our men!” she says and gives Aiden a big kiss. Making everyone laugh.

“I’ll let Harley give you your kiss.” She tells Rich. Making him laugh.

You giggle and go to kiss him, and he grins. “You can kiss me later, Love, when you don’t taste like broccoli!” he teases. You give him a mocking glare and punch his shoulder. Making Graham laugh.

He tosses you a fortune cookie and then tosses Richard his. Graham grabs one and so does Aiden and Scarlett. Leaving two extras on the table.

They all laugh when they open and read them.

Aiden’s says, “The fortune you seek is in another cookie.” He grabs another cookie and opens it, it’s fortune says, “Ignore previous cookie.” Which makes everyone crack up laughing and Aiden pouts. “I didn’t get a fortune!”

Scarlett just pats his shoulder. “You got me, sweetie, that’s all the good fortune you need!”

He grins and nods.

Graham cracks his open and it says, “Marriage lets you annoy one special person for the rest of your life.” He laughs and nods, “Well they got that one right!” and everyone laughs.

Scarlett cracks hers open and says, “Hey! I got TWO fortunes!!!!” one says ‘Remember three months from this date. Good things are in store for you.’ And the other says, ‘Good clothes open many doors. Go shopping!’

Of course, everyone looks at you and Scarlett and they all crack up laughing. Knowing that your shopping excursion with her lead to all them meeting you two!

Richard’s says, “You come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by seeing an imperfect person perfectly.” He grins and looks at you and kisses the top of your head. “See, even fortune cookies get it right occasionally!” you giggle & roll your eyes.

And Graham tosses you a second cookie. “You get the extra one since Scarlett got two fortunes in hers.”

You open yours and laugh cuz your first cookie has two fortunes in it. They say, “Someone truly loves you out there.” And “You or a close friend will be married within the year.” Which makes you blush a bright red. Of course, everyone wants to see what fortunes you got. They all laugh and tease you and Richard, but you point out it could be Aiden & Scarlett too!

Richard just grins a huge grin and hugs you. “Open up the other one, Sweetheart.” He says to you.

You look up and say, “I don’t know if I want to now.” he chuckles and hands it to you.

You crack it open and read the fortune. It says, “Don’t be afraid to take the next big step.” You groan, face palm and hand it to Richard, who cracks up laughing and hands it to Scarlett, who reads it, laughs and passes it to Aiden, who giggles and then passes it to Graham. Graham cracks up too and pats your shoulder. “I seem to detect a theme here, Sweetheart!”

You just groan. And bury your face in Rich’s chest. Making him chuckle. “You never know….” He teases, making you groan even more.

He pats your side and kisses your head again.

We’re just teasin’ ya lass.” Grahan tells you.

You nod and peek out from Rich’s side. Then you remember something your Mom once told you, which you remind him when you say teasingly, “You do know that the Father of the bride gets to pay for the entire wedding, right… and now ya got THREE girls!” you remind him with a smug grin.

“Oh good Lord, I’m gonna be working till I die!” he replies teasingly and rolls his eyes, flopping back into the chair pretending to die.

Aiden laughs, “You asked for it Pops, teasin’ her like that!” he says with a huge grin. Graham chuckles and sits up.

“Are we all done eating?” he asks. Everyone nods. “I’m full.” You hear from everyone.

Graham gets up and picks up the untouched leftovers. “What do ya say if we go see if the nurses want some of this?” he asks Richard.

Rich nods and he grabs some of the leftovers and Aiden grabs the rest. They head out to the nurse’s station with the paper plates and napkins and ask them if they’d like the leftovers. The nurses are almost speechless that the three movie stars would share their food with them. They nod and thank them, putting it in the fridge for their breaks.

While the guys are off giving leftovers to the nurses, you and Scarlett are cracking up at the fortunes you got. “You better keep those, and I’ll keep mine. We’ll get a good laugh out of them if they actually come true! Here, write the date on the back of them so we know when we got them!” she tells you and hands you a pen from the counter.

You write the dates on the back of them and she hands you your messenger bag. You put them in your wallet, and she puts her fortunes in her wallet.

You both are giggling about them still when the guys come back in.

“Are you two still giggling about the fortunes?” Graham asks.

Scarlett nods. Giggling again.

Graham chuckles. “How about we play that new game ye brought?” he says to Aiden.

Aiden grabs it off the counter and he starts to hand out the cards for the game.

You five spend the evening laughing yourselves silly and playing the game. You stopped after a while though so that someone could take Phantom out to go do his business when he started whining and dancing around by the door. Aiden decided to take him outside with Scarlett for a break.

Rich took the opportunity to ask the two of you how the meeting went with the lawyer. You told him it went fine and that she got what she needed and said you could do the meeting tomorrow with the judge via Skype. She said she would be at the actual hearing in case the judge needed to discuss anything with her.

Graham nodded.

Rich could tell there was more Graham wanted to say, but didn’t. Rich figured that Graham didn’t want to say it in front of you for some reason. He looked at the time and saw it was close to 10pm. He tells you, “Honey, do you know if the hospital has specific times for visiting?”

You shake your head, no.

He stands, “I’d better go check to see if they have specific times. I don’t want to upset anyone if we are here too long.” He tells you. “I’ll be right back.” He says and heads for the door.

“You want some more water, Sweetheart?” Graham asks when you go to drink your water and find your cup empty. You shake it and feel a few ice cubes in it. You pop open the lid and grab one out, then nod and hand it to Graham.

“Could you see if they can put more ice in it too?” you ask.

He grins and nods. “Be right back, Sweetheart.” He tells you and heads out.


	26. Chapter 26

Graham heads to the nurse’s station and asks if they can put more ice in the cup for you. While they do that, he mentions to Rich what all you had revealed to the lawyer and to him about your other two boyfriends and why you didn’t mention them to him earlier.

Rich was annoyed that you didn’t tell him about them as well, but understood why you didn’t. He realized he wouldn’t have been able to keep his cool if you had told him. It still hurt though that you told Graham and the Lawyer before you told him, but he did tell you to tell her everything. So, he knew he couldn’t get mad at you for it. You had done what he asked you to do.

Rich sighed. “She really had been through the wringer. Six and a half years of torture and abuse!!! How the hell does someone survive that and still be the way she is?” Richard asks, baffled.

“Hope and a stubborn streak a mile long.” A nurse named Ann says to him as she comes back with the cup of ice.

“That’s how a woman survives being in an abusive situation for a long time. I know, I was in one.” she says.

Richard and Graham nod.

Richard asks her if the hospital has specific visiting hours. She nods and tells him that it is from 8am -10pm daily.

“Thanks Lass.” Graham says and they head back to your room.

They chuckle when they get back in the room and you are sound asleep. Exhausted from the day’s events.

Graham chuckles quietly, fills your cup with water from the sink, grabs the cover and pops it on the cup. He places it on your bedside table and tells Richard that he will head out and see him tomorrow. Graham kisses the top of your head and whispers “Good night, Lass. Sweet dreams.” And then heads out.

Richard stands at the end of your bed, thinking about all you told him the other night when you first let him make love to you. And then thinks about the new info Graham passed on to him that was learned about you. He shook his head in disbelief. His heart ached for you, his beloved angel.

Six and a half years, he couldn’t believe you survived six and a half years of torture, verbal, physical and emotional abuse, and rape from men who never loved you. You never experiencing what a real loving relationship with a man was until you met him.

He watched as you slept, wishing he could take all that pain and suffering you had endured away and give you a fresh start. He pulls out his phone and takes a photo of you sound asleep in your hospital bed.

He started to think of special ways he could let you know how much you meant to him. Grinning, he realized there would be premiere for his new movie in NY, and LA, London and Hong Kong and that you would need a new dress for each one.

Grinning, he began to search his favourite designers for women on his phone to see if they had any new designs he liked. He found several new dress designs and emailed them asking if they would be interested in his girlfriend wearing one of their dresses on the red carpets of the premieres of his new film. He wasn’t about to let Graham have all the fun playing ‘dress up’ with you.

Richard grins, when he finds a particularly gorgeous pink and gold gown on a tumbler feature. When he looks at the name it says, ‘anarkali style’ he contacts the designer telling them that he absolutely loves the pink and gold dress she had designed and attaches a copy of the image as well as a photo of you he took. He asks if she would be willing to design something along the lines of the dress for you for his movie premiere in London.

She replies immediately that she would LOVE to design his girlfriend a gown and to bring you to her studios in a couple weeks. She asks if he could get your measurements to her ASAP so she can begin working on a few designs. She also asks if he has any color preferences. He just says, “What ever colors would look the most flattering on her. She has never walked the red carpet with him before and will be doing it for the first time in NY and then LA and then London, then Hong Kong.

He explains you are very, very special to him and you have been through hell from prior relationships and he wants you to feel like the treasure, and the princess you are to him.

She grins and asks if he could send any other pictures so she can get a sense of your style and color preferences. He chuckles and replies, “She is usually found in black, but we are trying to work her into other colors.” He attaches some of the other photos he has taken of you. “She loves corsets, by the way.” He adds to the message then sends it off.

She replies. Ahhh, well this will be fun! I look forward to seeing you both, Richard. Meet me at my studios with her next Thursday, shall we say, at three pm? She asks. He looks at the calendar on his phone and sees it is open. He messages his assistant and confirms there is nothing on the books for that day and time. She confirms that and he tells her to put the appointment into his books then messages the designer back that it should work for him He will let her know if plans need to be modified.

She replies and thanks him for his interest in her gowns.

Just then Aiden and Scarlett return with Phantom. They see Richard smirk and ask, “What’s that smirk all about?”

Rich picks up all the cards, with Scarlett’s help and they quickly put the game away. He hands the box to Aiden and motions for them to follow him out into the hallway. He closes the door to your room and shows them the beautiful pink and gold gown. “I contacted the designer to see if she would make something like this for Harley for one of the four movie premieres we will be going to.” He giggles. “She said ‘yes’ and to bring Harley to the design studio next Thursday to be fitted for the gown.” He grins.

Scarlett grabs the phone and looks at the gown. “OH MY GOSH, Richard! That is a GORGEOUS gown!!! But how are you going to get Harley to wear anything besides black!?!?!” she asks excitedly.

“I asked the designer to make the gown in what ever color would look best on Harley and sent her some of the pictures I’ve taken of her. She will need Harley’s measurements ASAP, Scarlett. Do you know what her measurements are?”

Scarlett grins and nods. “I have them saved in my phone along with all the sizes of clothes she wears.” She replies.

Both men look at her in disbelief. “Why do you have all that in your phone?” Aiden asks.

“When she would have to run from her ex-boyfriends, she usually left behind her clothes and only took her favourites. When the last ex dumped her, we purged everything from her closet, and she chose to only wear black after that. She hardly had anything to wear. I think 3 t-shirts, and a couple pairs of skinny black jeans. So, I measured her, and made notes of the sizes of all the clothes she wore so if I was out shopping, I could pick up new clothes for her.” She replied.

They both nodded and Scarlett texts Richard your measurements and height. He quickly sends it off to the designer, then thanks Scarlett. “Now I just have to find two more dresses for her for the other two premieres. He mumbles.

Scarlett giggles. “Want some help with that?” she asks. Rich looks up from his phone and sees how excited she is. He glances at Aiden, who is grinning. Then he gets an idea. Do you work tomorrow? He asks.

“No. I have tomorrow off, why?” Aiden asks. “Cuz we are going to shop for another dress for Harley with Scarlett.” He informs them. “Come over tomorrow morning. Scarlett, I want you to scour the fashion websites and look for some options that you think Harley might like. Be sure to check the more obscure designers, or up and coming ones too!” he tells her.

Scarlett squeals with glee. “Oooohh I get to have some fun!” she exclaims.

Aiden and Richard chuckle and roll their eyes at her. “I’ll see you two tomorrow morning. Call me when you’re ready to meet and we’ll figure out a place to meet at.” Richard tells them both.

They nod and wave goodbye. Rich heads back into your room and grins. You’re curled up on one side of the bed, leaving room for him to snuggle in with you. Rich slips off his shoes and puts them by the wall, out of the way. He removes his jacket and sweater, then climbs into the bed with you carefully and gently pulls you against his chest.

You stir, but don’t wake. He holds you close, just enjoying your scent of ylang ylang and peppermint shampoo from the hospital. He kisses the top of your head and shuts his eyes. The evening officer enters a half hour later to find the two of you sound asleep. He chuckles and lets you two sleep in each other’s arms while he plays quietly with Phantom and the rope toy.

The next morning, Richard wakes to find a nurse poking his arm. “Sir, I’m gonna have to ask you to move off the bed for me. I need to get some vitals from Miss Harley.”

Richard yawns and apologizes. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to spend the night here with her. Just wanted to cuddle with her for a bit before heading home. Guess I fell asleep.” He says, rubbing the back of his neck and trying to wake up. He sits up and gently slides his arm out from under you, then stands and stretches after moving out of the nurse’s way.

“She is lucky to have you for a boyfriend.” The nurse named Ann replies. Richard realizes it is the same nurse from last night that he and Graham had briefly talked to… the one who had been in an abusive relationship for a long time. “You seem to treat her much better than her last one.” she tells Richard.

He looks at her confused. “How do you know about her last boyfriend and how he treated her?” Richard asks.

“I took care of her one of the times she was brought in after he had his way with her.” She simply replied. “He had taken her and mutilated her nether regions after she refused to have sex with him. He tortured her and her employer grew suspicious when the boyfriend kept calling her in sick. They sent the police to find out what was going on. The cops found her in a basement room, strapped down and barely clinging to life from what he did to her. During her hospital stay, the doctor discovered her Uterine Fibroid and began to recommend to her to have the hysterectomy she ended up having after Christmas.” The nurse explained.

“We got to be good friends, since she was in the hospital for nigh on a month recovering from what her boyfriend did and then the surgery. I helped her and visited her at home afterwards and saw her slipping into a deep depression. It worried me, but she kept saying she was ‘fine’. I’m glad to see she found someone decent to treat her right and love her. She deserves it after all she has been through.” She tells Richard.

He is shocked by the new info the nurse just shared. He is sure she probably broke protocol by sharing it with him, but he appreciated her doing so. It angered him hearing what the ex did to his girl, but he can’t help but be further amazed at Harley’s resiliency. He shakes his head and sighs. “I can’t believe she has gone through so much hate and abuse, and yet still can be such a loving and kind person. She’s like a ray of sunshine in the lives of not only me but my friends as well!” he says quietly as the nurse continues to take Harley’s vitals.

“I remember her once saying to me that she wished she was loved by someone the way her parents loved each other. Apparently, her Father worshipped the ground her Mother walked on. At the time she told me this, her parents had been dead only about a year or so, and it appeared that she had been close to them and greatly missed them. She clung to a hope that someone would see the mess she was in and rescue her from it and whisk her away from her home life and give her a new one. She is stubborn and I believe that the hope of being rescued, that there’s something and someone better for her out there, and her stubbornness she fiercely clung to helped her survive all she had been through.” She tells Richard.

“She seems happy with you and this new circle of friends who have been hanging around her since she got here. I recognized the one lady with the red hair, she came to see her often in the hospital when I first met Harley. Thick as thieves, those two. Almost like sisters, they are.” She chuckles. “I hope you all continue to treat her well.” She tells Richard.

Richard sits listening to the nurse ramble. Thinking about Harley’s hope that had kept her alive. He smiled, remembering something his Father told him when he was younger and just learning about girls. “All girls want their knight in shining armor to come rescue them. Be that kind knight, Son, the right girl will appreciate all you do for her and will be faithful and loyal to her brave knight.”

“We love her to pieces. She is a very special woman to me… and to us all. I just hope I can live up to her ‘knight in shining armor’ hope.” He says.

The nurse chuckles. “Richard, she doesn’t want a knight in shining armor. She told me that she wants one in dented and dinged up armor.” The nurse chuckles.

Richard looks at her confused. “Huh?” he asks.

She grins. “Think about it, if a knight is in shining armor, with no dents or dings, what does that tell you?” she asks, pausing in her recording of vitals.

He thinks but isn’t sure what she is getting at, and gives the nurse a raised eyebrow and a frown.

She chuckles and replies, “That he hasn’t seen battle yet. Hasn’t had his mettle tested. A wise woman will look at it, see that, and realize she has no way of knowing if he will stand his ground and fight for her or if he will tuck tail and flee when the going gets tough.

But a knight in dull, dented and dinged up armor… that tells a wise woman that he has seen many battles, fought bravely defending his love and his country, and will stay with her and fight for her and protect her when the going gets tough. It tells her he won’t tuck tail and flee, abandoning her when life throws us lemons and we struggle to make lemonade with them. That is the kind of knight she wants… and needs, Richard, one in dull, dented and dinged up armor.”

Richard nods, thinking about what the nurse told him. He watches her as she helps a now waking Harley sit up and adjusts the bed to a sitting position.

“Morning, Love.” He greets you as he stands and comes over to the other side of the bed. “How is my little ray of sunshine this morning?” he asks as he kisses your forehead.

You yawn and stretch. “I’m ok. Still tired though, and my leg hurts, and I’m hungry.” You tell him.

“What would you like for breakfast?” he asks you as he brushes hair out of your eyes and the nurse hands him a soapy washcloth to clean your face with.

He gently washes your face as you ponder what to have for breakfast. “Keep your eyes closed, Love.” He tells you. You hear the water running in the sink as your nurse friend rinses out the washcloth, then hands it back to Richard.

You feel him gently rinsing the soap from your face with the warm washcloth. Once he is done, you open your eyes and grin. “Pancakes, crispy (almost burnt) bacon, cheesy scrambled eggs and Orange Juice.” You reply.

He chuckles and nods. “Your wish is my command, sweetheart.” Rich tells you and peppers your face with light kisses, making you giggle. “I will go find you your breakfast. Do you want any coffee or cappuccino?” he asks.

Your eyes light up and you ask for a French Vanilla Cappuccino. He grins and nods. “I will be back once I have found your breakfast order.” He says with another kiss to your forehead and a little bow as he stands. “Wait for me and I will return with your Breakfast soon.” He tells you and then heads out in search of your breakfast.

He heads out the door and hails a cab, then heads home to change clothes and get freshened up. Aiden calls and he tells them about the mission you sent him on. Aiden chuckles and offers to pick him up and they will go get you and them breakfast. He thanks them and they arrive within a half hour to his place.

He climbs in the back seat and they head off to their favourite breakfast joint to grab food to eat. They all order their food to go and then head to a coffee shop so Rich can get you a cappuccino and himself a coffee. Once they have everything, they all head back to the hospital.

During the drive, Scarlett shows Richard some of the dresses she found online. Some he didn’t care for, but others he loved. Then Scarlett showed him “THE DRESS” as she called it. Richard’s jaw dropped. He nodded.

The gown was a black velvet fitted hourglass dress with a subtle pattern stamped into the velvet. Three thin spaghetti straps on each side criss cross across the open back to hold the dress in place. Along the front collar area were a triangle of blood red rubies pointing down to your belly, the slit at the front and center of the bottom of the dress went up to your knee height and was lined with blood red fur trim and it looked like the inside of the skirt was lined with the furry trim as well. It followed the hem of the dress around to the back and lined the bottom hem of the dress. It was stunning in the photo and Richard wanted to see you wear it for the London premiere.

Scarlett grinned and could see Richard trying to picture you in the gown. Yes, if you wore this, you would most definitely be getting laid that night!

Richard asks Scarlett to send him the photos of the dress and the designer’s name. She does and he immediately contacts the designer and asks if they would consider making this dress for you in your size for his movie premiere. They agree to and ask him to send them your measurements and tells him to bring you to their design studio next week. He sends them the measurements he got from Scarlett and then looks and tells them that Sunday would work best for him. They agree on a time and he enters it into his planner on his phone that is linked to his assistant’s so she can see the appointments too.

Richard smiles. “Ok, so we have this dress, the pink and gold one, and the one that Graham bought for her. We just need one more dress. Let’s show her these and let her pick the last one for the Hong Kong Premiere.” He explains.

Scarlett nods. “I can’t wait to see how great she will look in these, Rich. She is going to LOVE them!!!” she says excitedly. “I wish we could go and see the premieres and walk the red carpet with you guys.” She says dreamily.

Aiden and Rich exchange glances and smirk. Aiden raises an eyebrow and Rich nods. Aiden nods back. Rich looks down to his phone and messages his agent and the director asking if it is possible he could have two more tickets for each of the four premieres.

They arrive back at the hospital and head up to your room. When they enter your room, they see Graham sitting by you reading his book, the nurse is finishing hooking up your iv. You’re freshly showered and are trying to comb out your hair, which is slung over your right shoulder. You have your black peasant top on with your corset and some light makeup. Phantom is sitting at the foot end of your bed and raises his head and woofs at the three people entering the room, his nose sniffing the air as he smells everyone’s breakfast.

“Hey!” you say, grinning. “Thought you guys got lost or something.” You tease. “Scarlett, can you help me get this combed out? It’s more snarled today for some reason. I don’t think my hair likes the hospital shampoo.” You tell her.

She takes the bottle of hair oil and puts some in her hands. You sit up and she works it into the snarls and tangles, then gently finger combs the larger tangles out. Handing her the comb, you sigh as she works out the smaller tangles and gets your hair all nice and smooth and shiny. You have her part it down the middle of your head and you begin to French braid it while they get breakfast set up.

Richard watches in fascination as you weave your hair into the braids. “How do you not get it all tangled with your fingers?” he asks as you braid the second one on the side he is standing on.

You glance up at him and reply, “It’s easy once you know how to do it. I just add small amounts of hair to each of the two outer strands, then braid it like a normal three strand braid, then add another small amount to each of the outer strands each time I go to braid. See? Watch.” You tell him and slow down your fingers so he can see the process.

“Oh! I see what you mean, now!” he tells you. Finishing your braid, you look around for another hair tie. “Where did that hair tie go? I just had it on my leg!” you ask.

He glances around and then sees it on the floor. “Here it is, Love. It fell on the floor when you moved.” He tells you as he picks it up and hands it to you. “What are you getting all dolled up for?” he asks.

“Um, Rich, Honey, the first court hearing is today, remember?” you remind him. He rolls his eyes and nods. “I forgot it was today, sorry.” He tells you and lets out another yawn.

You raise an eyebrow at him and then look at the breakfast food. Grinning you dig into your breakfast and savor each bite. The four of you talk and chuckle.

“What time are you meeting with he judge?” Scarlett asks. You tell her the time and she looks up at the clock. We had better get your laptop set up with Skype, honey.” She informs you.

You nod and Rich grabs your laptop off the shelf and hands it to you. Aiden helps you set up a skype account and gets you all ready for the call.

You thank them all for the help and Aiden and Scarlett head out after you all finished eating. “Let us know how it goes, Sweetie.” Scarlett tells you as she gives you a hug.

You nod and wave as they leave. Phantom comes over and lays down next to you and puts his head on your lap. Then sits up and scoots closer to you and rests his head on your shoulder and whines a little.

You sigh and look over at him and pet his head.


	27. Chapter 27

“You ok, Harley?” Graham asks, seeing Phantom’s sudden odd behavior.

“Just a bit scared and nervous.” You reply. “It’s hard to move on when the past keeps rearing it’s ugly head.” You say quietly and look down at your fingers.

Richard and Graham look at each other with concern for you evident on their faces.

“I know, Lass. But just remember, yer not in this all alone. We’re here for ye and soon enough this will be over and done with and ye can move on.” He tells you as he pats your lower leg.

You nod.

Rich gently takes your hands and brings them up to his face. “Sweetheart, look at me, please.” He tells you.

Raising your eyes to his, you see his concern and love swirling in his deep blue orbs. He kisses each palm of your hands and gives each one a gentle squeeze. “I’m here and so is Graham. Phantom is too. You’ll be just fine, Sweetheart.

The judge is just trying to figure out what all has happened to you so he can determine exactly what kind of a threat Ben is to you and how long he should make this restraining order last.” He tells you. “Now, you need to tell him _everything_ you can remember that your ex has done to you, no matter how unpleasant it is to remember for you and no matter how hard it is for us to hear. The judge NEEDS to know. He wasn’t there to witness it, you were. Ok? If you don’t tell him about something, he won’t know it happened and won’t be able to consider it when trying to decide how best the courts should protect you.

You are a brave and courageous woman to have survived so much and be willing now to confront your fears and your past to put this jerk behind bars. I’m so very proud of you love. When this is all over, I promise you we will celebrate it with a wonderful party and all our friends and those who have helped you over the years. Ok?” he tells you trying to encourage you.

Your eyes get glassy and you nod.

Rich pulls you into a giant hug and Graham rubs your lower leg adding his support for you. “Aye, Lass, ye are one of the most courageous women I have ever met. Yer a real trooper and survivor. Gwen and I are very proud of ye for handling all this so well.” He tells you.

You nod and mumble “Thanks, you two.” Into Rich’s shoulder.

Suddenly your laptop dings, signaling the incoming skype call. Richard releases you from the hug and you take a deep breath to calm yourself and accept the incoming call. The judge’s face appears on your screen and he introduces himself and asks how you are doing.

You give him a small smile. “I’m alive.” You reply. He explains to you how this proceeding will go, tells you your lawyer is here with him and that he has looked at all the evidence provided thus far by the police, your lawyer and the people who had been interviewed by both. He begins the proceedings. After a bit of official talking, he gets around to asking you to share your story.

You spend the next hour telling him everything. From the time you met Ben up til the present. A few times you had to pause because the memories upset you so much, and the judge was kind and let you take all the time you needed. You also explained who the ball of fluff was sitting next to you and why your friends got him for you. You tell the judge that if it wasn’t for this ball of fluff, that you and Richard would most likely would have been killed by your ex the day he shot you.

As you told your entire story to the judge, including things Ben had done to you that you had never shared with anyone, you could sense both Richard and Graham becoming very upset, and the judge even seemed upset by what you had told him you endured, realizing it matched all the evidence he had been given. Rich and Graham took turns leaving the room when it got to be too much for them or for Phantom, who would get almost frantic at you being so upset, and you understood it was probably hard for all of them to hear it. Richard and Graham would get red faced and would step out for a few minutes, cool off, then return to be with you.

Once you finished, the judge was quiet for a few minutes processing everything. “You really have been through the wringer with this man, haven’t you, Miss Harley.” He commented.

“Yes sir, I was. I have Nurse Ann to thank for helping me to finally escape his grasp. She had been in an abusive situation as well and helped me think things through from a different perspective and helped me see that this was not how a relationship is supposed to be like. She and Scarlett, my best friend, were the ones who convinced me to have my hysterectomy and took care of me when I told them my ex broke up with me once he found out I had it.” You explain.

“I’m trying to move on, Sir, but it is hard to do that when my past keeps popping up and threatening to destroy everything I’m working so hard to try to build new.” You tell him. “He destroyed my old home, displacing the three families who still lived in the building. He shot my Boss who was a retired cop that had hired me, beating him to within an inch of his life because my Boss refused to tell my ex where I was hiding out. My Boss has had to close his business and will have lost a month and a half to two months’ worth of income because of my ex’s actions. My ex has threatened my friends by trying to get into their jobsites to cause mischief, stalking them at their homes, and then blatantly attacked me and my boyfriend and guard dog completely unprovoked, thus putting me in the hospital and unable to run the business for my Boss, and because my ex shot me it is keeping me from being there to tell you all this in person.” You tell the judge.

“I just want peace and freedom from this insane man. He will never take ‘no’ for an answer, he never has. He does what ever it takes to get what he wants and won’t stop till he has it. He doesn’t care who he hurts, and doesn’t care what he has to destroy to get it, Sir.” If he is ever released from jail, he will come after me again, restraining order or not.”

The judge nods in understanding. “I will take all this and the information, evidence, and testimonies your attorney has provided to me into consideration, Miss Harley. Thank you for meeting with me. I am sorry you had to go through all this, and I wish you a quick recovery. I will let your lawyer know what time you can expect my call on Monday. I will let you know at the end of that meeting what my decision is.” He informs you.

“Thank you, Sir.” You reply, feeling utterly exhausted. The screen blips to black in the box where his image had been. You turn off Skype and close the computer with a heavy sigh.

Everyone is quiet for a few minutes, trying to process what all had been shared. Finally, Graham gets up, takes the computer, and puts it in your backpack along with the power cord.

He comes back over to the opposite side of the bed from where Richard sits. He pets Phantom for a bit, then tells you quietly, “I never imagined what all you have been through when I first met you, Harley. You seemed so confident and sure of yourself. I never could have imagined all the hurt and pain you’ve had to hide behind that beaming smile and bubbly personality.” He tells you as he reaches up and caresses the side of your face.

“You are an amazing woman. To have survived all that, and still be able to be the bubbly, snarky, sassy, wonderful woman we have all grown to know and love. You ARE beautiful, and sexy, and deserve happiness with Richard. You both have waited a long time to know such happiness, and I’m glad I was able to help bring you two together.” He tells you as he gives you a hug.

I gotta go for a while and take care of some stuff so Gwen and the Girls can come for the premieres. I’ll leave you two to talk and rest. When you want some company, let me, Aiden and Scarlett know and we will come back up to hang out with you, all right?” he asks.

You nod. “Thanks, Pops. Mom and Dad would’ve loved you all. Thanks for you and Gwen stepping into their shoes now that they’re gone, Graham. It’s helped the ache I’ve had from missing them.” You tell him and hug him back. “They’d be relieved to know I have such wonderful fill-ins.”

He chokes back tears, kisses the top of your head and tells you to get some rest, then tells Rich he’ll see him later and heads out.

\------------

Graham heads out of the hospital to his Jaguar and gets in. He rubs his face in frustration. Hearing you talk about what all your ex had done to you really tore him up inside. He was furious that any man could and would treat you like that. It broke his heart hearing what all you endured. He took a moment to just let the tears of frustration and heartache for you fall. He knew he needed to let Gwen know, but he wanted to tell her when the girls weren’t around, knowing it will upset her.

He texted her, “ _Hi Honey. Need to talk to ye about Harley when ye got some time and the girls aren’t around to hear it. See if they can spend the night at a friend’s house. Luv, Graham._ ”

He taps send and waits. A few minutes later he gets a call from her. He knows it is very early in the morning there and he feels bad waking her, but knows she will be pissed if he waited to tell her.

“Grahammy, what’s wrong? What’s going on?” she asks sleepily.

“Where are the girls, Love?” he asks her.

“They are in their room sleeping, Sweetheart. I’m just heading down to the family room.” She tells him.

Graham spends the next hour telling Gwen what all you shared with the judge and she is weeping at the news. “Oh Graham! How could someone do that to her!?!” she cried.

“I know, Love, I feel the same way.” he says with a few tears running down his cheeks too.

“After I heard her full story, I knew I needed to let ye know. She needs family support more now then ever, Love. She told me before I left just a bit ago, that us stepping into the parents’ role has helped her with the ache of missing her Mum and Pops.” He tells his beloved wife.

“Oh Grahammy, I wish there was more we could do for her. The girls can’t wait to meet her, and neither can I. I talked with PJ, Fran and Phillipa, they said they will have someone keep an eye on the house for us while we are gone. I will pay all the bills for the month before we head out and have notified the companies we will be gone for a month or so.” She tells him.

Graham grins. “A month! Oh my sweetness, I can’t wait to have ye here for a month with the girls!” he exclaims. “Seeing Harley makes me miss ye all so much. She is so vibrant and bouncy like the girls are when they get excited.” He grins, remembering your face after the Abba dances you did for the guys.

“Maybe I can see if Lee or Martin and Amanda would be willing to entertain the girls fer an evening, so we could have a night out with Rich and Harley and Aiden and Scarlett.” He tells her.

“I’d love that, Sweetheart.” She tells him. “Is there anything special ye want me to bring for ye or Harley?” she asks.

Graham thinks for a moment. “I don’t need anything, just ye and the girls; but it would be nice to bring something for Harley from New Zealand. She apparently loved the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, and of course is dating Richard. Talk with Fran or Phillipa, see if they have any suggestions what ye could bring. She said she wants to visit NZ one day and see all the sights. Hopefully she can talk Rich into buying a home there eventually and get him to settle down.” He chuckles.

“Ok, Love, I will do that. I gotta get back to sleep though, Grahammy. It’s very early here, but thank ye for keeping me in the loop. Give her a big hug and kiss from me and tell her Momma’s very proud of her for doing this and for being a survivor!” she tells him.

“I will, my Love.” He tells Gwen. “Goodnight, Sweetheart. Give our girls a hug and kiss from their Poppa for me. I’ll see you three soon.” He says and makes a kissy sound, which makes Gwen giggle. She makes kissy sounds back and then hangs up.

Graham sighs and feels a little better. He pulls out the tickets for the four movie premieres for his family and grins. Then gets an idea.

He quickly texts Gwen. “What do you think about making Harley’s adoption real. Even though she is an adult, we could see about officially adopting her and making her officially part of the family!”

Gwen texts back, “OH PLEASE DO!!!! 😊We’d _love_ to have her officially as our daughter and big sister for the girls…and Rich as a son-in-law too…😊 if they end up married! The girls love him already! LOL!” she replies back excitedly

He grins and messages his lawyer and explains the situation and asks if it is even possible to do such a thing. The lawyer messages back it is possible, but doesn’t happen very often. He asks if she would be willing to do this and Graham tells him that he will ask her when he sees her, but he thinks she will be. That they hoped to do it as a surprise for her.

The lawyer asks Graham if he would like the papers drawn up and sent to him via e-mail to sign. Graham tells him yes and to send them to Gwen as well since he is in the USA and Gwen is in NZ. The lawyer asks where Harley is from and Graham tells him the USA. He tells Graham what all will be involved in having Harley get NZ citizenship, if she so wishes, and that she can have dual citizenship if she likes.

They continue to discuss things and get everything figured out. Graham is giddy with excitement and can’t wait to ask Harley if she would like to be officially adopted by them. He grins smugly, realizing that if she marries Richard, then Rich will be his son-in-law!

He heads out to make arrangements for his family to fly to the states in a few weeks for the movie premiere with a huge grin on his face.

\-------------

Richard sits with you as Graham steps out of the room. You are both quiet and there’s a bit of tension in the air. Rich can tell you are emotionally drained from the experience and he realizes why you never shared most of that stuff with him. He had all he could do to try to contain his anger and had to step out a couple times to try to cool down.

He gets up and moves over to the sink and takes the washcloth from the cabinet, turns on the sink and runs the cool water over the cloth. Shutting off the water, he wrings out the cloth and brings it over to you. He sits on the edge of the bed and puts it against your flushed, tear streaked face. “I’m sorry you had to relive all that, Harley.” He says quietly. “I understand why you didn’t tell me about most of it.” He adds.

You look up with glassy eyes. “I didn’t want to hurt you with it.” She says in almost a whisper and drops her gaze again in shame.

Rich pats your face gently with the cool washcloth, wiping away the tear streaks and helping to calm you. “What do you need right now, Love? What can I do to make you feel better and comfort you?” he asks gently.

You look up at him and squeak out, “Just hold me.” He rests the washcloth on your forehead and moves back to the side he was sitting on before the meeting with the judge. He climbs onto the bed after kicking off his shoes and pulls you gently against his side. You wrap your arms around his chest and just cry into his shoulder. He holds you in his strong arms and lets you cry. He rubs your back and pets your head, to try to comfort you, murmuring loving and supportive statements into your ear.

“Shhhh, now. I’m here, Love. I got you.” He tells you. “It’s ok, let it out.” He says as he wipes your eyes with the washcloth.

“I’m sorry, Rich. I’m sorry I never told you all of it before now. I should’ve told it to you, so it wasn’t such a shock to hear it when I had to tell the judge.” You apologize.

“Shhh. Love. It’s all right. I’m not mad. I understand why you didn’t talk about it. It couldn’t have been easy to relive all that and have to tell it to the judge with me and Graham sitting there.” He tells you. “We are proud of how brave you are, Harley. It took guts to do that. To be willing to relive it so you can finally have peace.” He murmurs in your ear and gives your head a gentle kiss.

“I am honored to call you my girl.” He tells you.

You pull away a little and look up at him surprised, “You are?” you ask.

He smiles and kisses your nose, then caresses your face lovingly. “Yes, sweetheart, I am.” He tells you as he pulls you back against his chest and rests his chin on your head, giving you a gentle squeeze.

“Why?” you ask after a bit.

You hear the rumbling in his chest from him chuckling. “Because you’re a stubborn, hopeful, brave, and kindhearted survivor. You didn’t let this abuse claim your life, you fought to live and survive when you could have easily given up. You ran when you needed to and started over. You didn’t let these experiences make you bitter and angry, and you kept your happy, bubbly personality.

You were willing to risk being hurt again, risked trusting a man once more, and let me be a part of your life. Now you are standing your ground, bravely with an army of new friends and new family behind you cheering you on. And we all are honored to know you and call you friend and family.” He tells you.

Hearing Richard’s words, lightens your heartache and fills you with more hope. “Thank you.” You say quietly.

Richard hums and gives you another squeeze. “Rest now, Love. You’ve had a difficult morning.” He tells you. “Phantom and I will stay right here with you. Now, get some sleep.”

You take some slow deep breaths, breathing in Richard’s familiar scent and feel yourself relax in the safety of his arms. Soon you drift off to sleep and Richard grins, feeling you get suddenly a little heavier as your dead weight leans into him more. He closes his eyes and breathes in your comforting scent of peppermint and ylang ylang. Soon, he too is sound asleep with you in his arms.

Several hours later, Scarlett, Aiden, Martin, Amanda, and Lee all come to the hospital to see how you are doing. Scarlet was a little worried since you hadn’t called after the meeting and so Lee suggested they go check up on you.

They opened the door to see you sound asleep in Richard’s arms and see he is sleeping too with his head resting against yours.

“Awwww!” Scarlett quietly says. Phantom’s head pops up and he quietly “wuffs” and hops down. The noise and movement waking you and Richard. You both yawn and stretch then see almost all your friends peeking in the doorway.

You giggle and tell them to come in.

“Scarlett got worried when you didn’t call after the meeting.” Aiden tells you as they pull up chairs. Maritn and Lee go to find a few more to bring into the room, then sit down and join everyone else.

“Sorry. It was kind of stressful and I was just exhausted after it. I guess we fell asleep and just woke up now. Sorry we didn’t call.” You explain.

“It’s ok. Harley, we’re just glad to see you’re all right.” Maritn tells you. “So, how _did_ the meeting go?” he asks.

You briefly fill them in on what happened, skipping the details of the info you shared with the judge. You tell them he will make his decision on Monday at the end of the second hearing.

Just then there’s a knock on the door and you look over. Phantom yips and jumps down from the bed and rushes over to the door wagging his tail happily. Martin gets up and opens the door and sees a cop standing there. Martin backs up and lets the officer in, who stoops down and pets Phantom and motions for him to ‘go’. And the dog runs back to you and hops up onto the bed. He steps into the room and sees all the faces of your friends. You chuckle when you see who it is.

“Alex!” you exclaim and do the grabby hands, motioning for him to come give you a hug. “How’s Todd?” you ask as he maneuvers his way through all your friends.

He chuckles and gives you a hug. “Todd’s doing all right. They had him up and walking around today.” He tells you. “Wasn’t too happy with me though when I had to tell him why you haven’t come to see him yet.” He says sheepishly. “He gave me a nice bruise on my arm for letting you get hurt.” He teased.

“I should send him a card and some flowers and balloon.” You say to yourself out loud.

“How are _you_ doing?” Alex asks. “I see you’re having a party with out me!” he teases, and everyone chuckles.

You shrug. “Alex, these are my friends. You’ve already met Aiden and Scarlett, that’s Martin and his partner, Amanda over there. And this is Lee. Guys, this is my boss’ brother, Alex. He is the officer who’s helping us with my ex.” You tell them. Then realize Graham isn’t there. “Hey, Where’s Pops?” you ask.

Lee and Martin look confused, “Pops?” they ask.

Scarlett giggles. “Graham. He and Gwen, his wife, claim to have adopted her unofficially.” She explains.

“Graham had to go run some errands to get things ready for his family to come for the premieres, remember, Har?” Richard reminds you.

“Oh, yeah… didn’t he say to call him when we were ready for company?” you ask.

Richard grins and nods. “I’ll let him know he can come up anytime now.” he tells you and sends Graham a text.

Alex lets you know that Todd will probably want to come down and see you one of these days. “He misses your bubbly personality and beaming face… and he wants to meet your guard dog.” He explains.

You chuckle. “I miss seeing the big guy too. Glad to know he was up and walking today. That’s more than what I’m allowed to do right now.” you quip.

Alex chuckles. “Don’t worry, Harley, they should have you up and walking soon. I’ve been shot and know what it feels like.” He tells you.

You look at him wide eyed. “Really?” you ask.

He nods. “Yeah. Same leg as you, actually, just down lower.” He replies. “You’ll be walking around on crutches for a few weeks, but you’ll be fine, kiddo.” He tells you.

You sigh. “I hate crutches.” You huff.

Everyone chuckles. “At least you’ll be able to get around Harley.” Lee tells you with a grin.

You nod. “Yeah, I guess. They just make my arms and armpits hurt.” You mutter.

“I gotta get going, Harley. Just wanted to stop in and see how you were doing. The guys at the department were asking about you.” He tells you.

“OH! I almost forgot, please thank them all for the lovely flowers both of the departments sent over!” you exclaim and point to the plants on the window sill. “I got ones from the 1st precinct too!” you tell him.

He grins. “I will tell them that you send a thanks to them. Glad you liked them!” he replies, giving you a hug and tells you. “Speedy recovery, kiddo. See you later. Nice to meet you all.” Then he heads out to get back to work.

You sigh and lean against Rich’s shoulder. “Too bad we don’t have that apples game. It would be fun to play with this many people!” you comment.

Aiden jumps up and runs out of the room. You look at Scarlett and she shrugs.

Richard introduces you to Lee and you chuckle. “Well now that we’ve finally met, I just want to tell you thanks for helping out with the supplies for Phantom and the pet deposit. It helped me out a lot!” you tell him.

He grins. “Anything to make it easier for Rich and you. You’ve been good for him. Haven’t seen him in such a good mood in a long time.” He tells you.

You look up at the man holding you in his arms and grin. He smiles and kisses your forehead.

Aiden comes running back in waving the red box giggling. “They have one here!!!” he exclaims and plops it down on the bed.

You pop up and giggle, “Well, what are you waiting for Aiden! Let’s play!!!”

Everyone crowds around the bed and Aiden explains how to play it to Martin, Amanda and Lee. He passes out the cards and you all are laughing and bantering back and forth when Graham comes in.

“Startin’ the party without me?” he teases.

“Better late then never, Pops!” you tease back. He smirks and comes to stand by the head of the bed next to you. Phantom lets out a yip and he looks down. “You need to go outside?” he asks the dog.

Phantom yips again and hops down. He goes over to his leash and pulls it off the door handle and brings it back to Graham. You start laughing. “I guess that’d be a yes, Pops.” You tell him.

Graham chuckles and then goes to the closet and grabs the dog brush. “I’ll take him down and give him a good brushing while we’re down there.” He tells you. “Be back in a bit.” He chuckles as Phantom yips again, wanting to go outside.

They head out while you all continue to play the game. The seven of you spent the afternoon laughing your asses off while you played Apples to Apples, Graham joining in the fun once he finished with Phantom.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Mentions of abuse, rape, kidnapping and torture

The nurses coming to check on you periodically would just blush furiously and shake their head at all the movie stars in your room. The guys, catching on, would of course give them a bad time, but all in good fun. And they always thanked them for taking such good care of you.

Around suppertime a nurse came in asking if you’d like to order supper. You shook your head and she continued to the next room.

You grab your phone and check to see if your favourite Shawarma place is open. You call and they answer. You ask how late they are open today. They tell you 7:30pm. You ask them to hold on for a moment. Then ask if someone could run to the restaurant and get you a couple chicken shawarmas. Rich tells you he’ll go and get it if someone will give him a ride. Lee tells him he’ll take him to go get your food.

You hop back on the phone and tell the person that you have a couple friends coming to get you food and ask if you can place your order over the phone and he tells you yes. You place your order, and he tells you the total. You pull out your card and go to pay for it, when Rich pulls it out of your hand. “I got it, Love. Don’t worry about it.” He tells you, putting your card back in your phone case. You tell him your friends are going to pay for it when they get there, and he thanks you for the order and tells you it’ll be ready in about 15 minutes. You thank him and hang up.

You tell Rich the total and he asks if anyone else wants food from there since they are going out.

Martin and Amanda stand and stretch. “We should probably get going, Sweetheart. Thanks for the fun afternoon!” they tell you, and give you a hug.

“Thanks for coming to see me!” you thank them.

They head out and Aiden and Scarlett and Graham all give Rich their orders and money to pay for it. Then Rich and Lee head out.

Graham giggles when the door closes.

You look at him with a raised eyebrow. He leans over and gives you a HUGE hug and a kiss on your cheek. “That’s from Momma.” He tells you. “She said to tell you she is SO proud of you and can’t wait to see you. The girls are excited too.” He tells you.

You grin and get a little choked up, “I haven’t had a Momma in so long!” you say quietly.

He grins again. “Harley, how would you like it if we adopted you officially?” he asked.

Your head shoots up and your eyes get huge. You look from him to Scarlett and back to him. Scarlett looks just as surprised and gives you a HUGE grin.

“REALLY?” you ask Graham. “Y-you want to adopt me o-officially?!?” you stammer. “Y-y-you can do that even though I’m an adult?”

He grins at your reaction. He pulls out some papers from behind him and shows you the signatures of Gwen and himself.

If you are okay with it, all ya gotta do is sign there.” He says pointing at the line. “And fill in this line here, how you want your name for you to be officially recognized as.

You look at him and then back at Scarlett, who is nodding excitedly and bouncing in her seat. Aiden is grinning from ear to ear at the surprise.

You look back down at the papers and start to read them with trembling fingers. Once you finish, you look back up at Graham. “This is for real???” you ask.

He chuckles and squats down. He takes your face in his hands gently and tells you. “Gwen asked how your meeting went with the judge. I hope you don’t mind, but I shared with her what you had shared with the judge. She was as heartbroken about what all you’ve endured as am I. We both realized you need family, real family and friends to fall back on. You should never have had to go through that with just you and Scarlett. We talked and I asked if we could adopt you officially. She gave me an emphatic YES.

I told her I would check into it and see if it is even possible since you’re an adult. My lawyer said it is possible, but rarely done. He drew up the papers and sent them to Gwen, she signed them electronically, then sent them back. He then sent them to me, and I did the same. This is the official copy. If you want to agree to it, all you have to do is write in how you want your name to be and sign and date it. I will send it back to my attorney and he will do his thing and let us know when it is approved.

He also gave me forms for you to fill out if you’d like to have NZ dual citizenship. We weren’t sure if you wanted to do that, but it’s up to you, Sweetheart.

Your eyes fill with tears and you try not to cry. “Oh Graham!” you say quietly and lean into his hands and close your eyes. “I never thought I’d ever have a family after my parents died. I’ve never had siblings.” You almost whisper. “Scarlett is the closest thing I have had to family.” You tell him.

“I know, Sweetheart. She has told me that. You have a family who wants you, honey. Do you want to have a real family again and real sisters? My girls would LOVE to have a big sister.” He tells you.

You nod, unable to speak for a few minutes. “Does Rich know about this?” you ask.

Graham chuckles. “No sweetheart. I hadn’t had time to mention it to him. Do you want to wait to sign it till he gets back?” he asks you.

“Would you mind if I did?” you ask quietly.

Graham chuckles softly. “No, Lass, I don’t mind.” He tells you and kisses your forehead, then stands. You look down at the paper again, running your fingers along the words.

“Harley, have you thought about what you’d do with your name?” Scarlett asks. “Would you keep yours or take Graham’s last name?” she asks.

You think for a few minutes. “I don’t know. I wish I could do both.” You reply.

“You could.” Aiden tells you softly. “You could hyphenate your last name. By the way, what _is_ your last name?!?” he says with a chuckle. “I don’t think anyone’s ever said what it is!”

You and Scarlett chuckle. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” You grin.

He raises his eyebrow and looks at Scarlett for help. She giggles. “Davidsen”

His jaw drops and Graham just starts laughing.

“You mean like the motorcycle?” Aiden says, shocked.

“Not quite, hun.” Scarlett tells him. “The motorcycle company spells it D.A.V.I.D.S.O.N. but our Harley’s parents here were D.A.V.I.D.S.E.N.” she explains.

“Aww, that’s just plain cruel!” he exclaims.

You giggle. “Actually, my parents thought it was hilarious, especially since the company tried to sue them… and lost.” You reply.

Everyone looks at you surprised.

“What?” you ask. “Scarlett you knew that!” you reminded her.

“I completely forgot about that, Har!”

“Yup, I have the news clippings in my book which is in my closet at your place, Aiden.” You tell him.

Graham just laughs, “Lass, now that I’d love to see. I bet my friend doesn’t even know that about the company!” he tells you.

“I’ll show it to you when I get outta here.” You promise.

Just then Phantom’s head pops up as he lays on the end of the bed. You hear a soft knock and Graham goes to answer the door.

You hear “Oh! Hello!” and suddenly you see Todd in a wheelchair being pushed by a male nurse.

“Ahhh! There’s my sunshine!!! He exclaims and the nurse pushes him over to the side of the bed. You lean over and give him a hug.

“How’s my boss?” you reply. “Sorry I haven’t been able to come visit. Felt kinda holey.” You tease, making him laugh.

“Where’d they shoot ya, Kiddo?” he asks. You pull the blanket aside and show him the bandage. “They said it went clean through and lodged in the door of Rich’s car. He’s annoyed cuz they impounded the car as evidence. So now he doesn’t have a ride.” You smirk. “I guess he is getting a taste of what I get to deal with all the time.” You giggle.

“Well I’m just glad it didn’t hit anything too serious.” He tells you.

Phantom laid on the end of the bed watching your interaction with the new stranger. He comes up to you carefully and nuzzles your arm.

“Oh, who is this black furball?” Todd asks.

“Our new employee, Phantom.” You reply. “Phantom this is our boss, Todd. He’s a friend.” You tell the fluffball.

Todd holds out his hand and Phantom gives it a sniff, then begins to lick it and nuzzles it. Todd laughs and winces at the pain. “Well, Hello there Phantom. Are you gonna come with Harley and be our shop’s guard dog too?” he asks.

Phantom yips and licks Todd’s hand, then puts a paw on top of it.

Graham laughs and says, “So _that’s_ the new employee you were talking about the other day?!?”

You and Todd nod. “Yup. I told Harley that we’ll give him a salary for being the shop’s guard dog when we’re open.” He tells Graham. “And by the way, you get free drinks any time you like! If it weren’t for you finding me, I wouldn’t be here!” he tells Graham. “Thanks fer saving my life, Graham!” Todd tells him.

Graham blushes and tells Todd. “It’s a life worth savin!”

Just then, Richard and Lee return with the food. You giggle and say, “Rich, look who came to visit!!!”

He looks up from setting the bags on the counter and sees Todd. He gets a huge grin on his face and comes over to shake Todd’s hand. “Hey! Glad to see you! How are you doing?” he asks.

“I’ve been better, but they had me up and around today. I asked my nurse here if we could escape my floor and come say hi to my employee. I wanted to make sure my brother wasn’t fibbing about her injury just to keep me appeased.” He grinned.

Richard grins. “I wanted to thank you for not telling her ex where she was hiding at. You kept her safe.” He told Todd. “I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done to help her move on and start over.” He tells Todd as she shakes his hand.

Todd blushes. “Well, she is a ray of sunshine and I’m happy to have been able to help her start over. She deserves it. She’s a hard worker and a wonderful employee. She has some great ideas for new products and decorating in the shop that I can’t wait to try.” He tells Rich.

“I’m glad you’re doing okay, kiddo. I’ll leave ya to eat with your friends, now. But when they let you get up and around, you come see me if I’m still here and we’ll have a coffee and discuss work, okay?” he tells you.

You nod, “Yes, sir.” You reply with a wink.

Todd chuckles and gives Phantom a good scratch. “You take good care of her, boy. I need her at work to help me with these new products we’re gonna try.” He tells the dog.

“See you later, Sunshine!” he tells you as the nurse pushes the wheelchair out of the room.

You grin and look down at the papers in your lap, then up at Richard. He sees them and comes to sit down by you. “What’s this?” he asks.

You look up at Graham and he nods and gives you a wink, then goes to help Lee figure out who’s shawarmas belong to whom, giving you a chance to talk with Rich.

“Um, Rich, Graham and his wife want to adopt me.” You tell him with a grin.

Rich looks confused. “I thought they did that unofficially already.” He tells you.

“Well they did that, but they want to make it official. So, I can have a Mum and Dad again, and Sisters! I already claim Scarlett as my Sister, but now I’d have three of them!!!” you say with a huge grin. “Would you be okay with that?” you ask shyly.

Richard is quiet for a few minutes, not sure how he feels about this. He looks at you and realizes how much you want to have a family again. He can’t imagine being an orphan at your age and having no support except your best friend and going through what you did. He just nods. “What ever makes you happy, Love.” He says, kisses the top of your head and gets up to go get food.

His reaction puzzles you and you look over at Scarlett. She saw his reaction and shrugged. You look down at the papers and take the pen laying down by the side of your leg and signs your name, then writes, _Harley Raye Davidsen-McTavish_ in the line where your new name is to go.

Graham sees you writing on the paper and grins. He walks over and looks down. Harley Raye. That’s a pretty middle name. Harley Raye Davidsen.” He says quietly. “I like the sound of it.” He tells you.

You giggle, “Now say it with your last name at the end.” He looks down at the paper and grins again. “Miss Harley Raye Davidsen-McTavish”. He murmurs. “It’s a mouthful but it rolls off the tongue nicely, Harley. I’ll get this sent off right away. Gwen and the girls will be SO excited!!!” he tells you and kisses the top of your head then puts the papers in his jacket pocket.

He heads out of the room to see if there’s a fax machine at the desk that he could use to send it to his attorney.

You notice Richard is quiet and not acting normal. You frown, but don’t say anything.

Lee catches Richard’s mood swing right away. He glances over to you and sees you frowning. He catches Scarlett’s attention and asks her, “What’s going on with Rich and Harley? He was happy and now all of a sudden he is withdrawing.”

She pulls Lee out into the hallway quietly and closes the door. “Graham and his wife asked Harley if they could officially adopt her as their daughter. Harley’s Dad died about three years ago now from a heart attack. Her Mother died of a broken heart a month later. Harley and her parents were very close, and it devastated her to lose them. Then on top of all that her boyfriend at the time began to get even more possessive and abusive to her.

She has spent the last three years feeling unloved and unwanted by everyone except me. She longed to have a family who loved her and treated her like her parents once did. For her, Graham and Gwen’s offer to adopt her officially is a dream come true. I think Richard is feeling a little put out by it. I’m not sure why. Maybe the fact that he and Graham were co-stars has something to do with it and the fact that now he will be dating Graham’s daughter? I don’t know for sure.” Scarlett says.

Lee frowns. “Richard has waited a long time for someone to love him like Harley does. Do you want me to talk to him?” he asks.

Scarlett thinks for a minute. “No, let me talk to him. I know Harley’s history better than anyone. I know all her secrets and what all has happened to her.” She tells Lee. “Will you ask him to come out here? I don’t want to cause a scene in front of Harley. She seems upset that he isn’t happy for her.”

Lee nods and goes into the room. A few minutes later Richard comes out and looks around. “Over here, Rich.” Scarlett says from the empty family room.

Richard walks over and says, “Lee said you wanted to talk to me.”

“Yup. Come in and sit down, big guy.” She tells him and steps aside.

Richard enters and sits down, confused why Scarlett wants to talk with him. He sees her shut the door and realizes she didn’t want to say what ever she is going to say to him in front of you.

Scarlett sits down on a chair next to him and says, “Rich I noticed you were acting differently when Har showed you the adoption papers Graham had given her. What’s goin on in your noggin?” she asks gently.

He sighs and stands up and sighs again, “I don’t want to talk about it, Scarlett. It’s not your business.” He says and starts to head for the door.

Scarlett jumps up and moves in front of the door. “Wrong. Rich. It IS my business. I’ve known Harley since we were toddlers. We are as thick as thieves and consider each other Sisters. I don’t think you completely understand what the last three years have been like for Harley. If you’ll sit, and let me talk with you, I think you’ll understand why this is so important to her.

Richard looks at Scarlett and sighs. “Fine.” He says and sits down.

“Rich were you close to your parents?” Scarlett asks.

He nods.

“Harley was too. She saw how her Father worshipped the ground her Mother walked on. I see the same look on your face and in your eyes that her Father had for her Mother. Three years ago, about a month after Harley’s birthday, her Father had a massive heart attack at work and didn’t survive. Harley was devastated when her Mother called her at work to tell her that her Poppa was gone. She never got to say goodbye to him, Rich.

Harley’s boss was a cruel SOB and wouldn’t let her off for the day to grieve and so she quit.

Her Mother died of a broken heart about a month after her husband died. She just couldn’t bear life without him. Everything around her reminded her too much of him. Harley wore the black sapphire choker from him all the time to try to keep a little bit of him with her. It was hard for her Mother to see it around Harley’s neck. It was the last gift her Father gave to her. He had saved for years to get her the real sapphire stone on the choker and the two smaller ones for the matching earrings. They are her most prized possessions.

Once her parents died, her life really began to crumble. Her boyfriend became more and more possessive of her, he tried to cut her off from everyone, including me. He beat her and would lock her in the basement for weeks, torturing her and raping her. He rarely let her be alone. One of the times he did, she managed to escape. She hid at my place for about a week until my parents were able to get her a job and a new apartment on the other end of town. She was terrified of him. She managed to evade him for about a month.

Her new employer was a kind person and she told him everything. She also told him that if she missed more than two days from work in a row to send the police to check on her at her new apartment and at her ex boyfriend’s and gave him the ex’s address. She specifically told him to have the police check the basement very carefully for hidden rooms.

Two weeks later the boss got a call from a guy saying Harley would not be in for the rest of the week, that she was ill and unable to work. He remembered what Harley had told him and immediately called the police. It was the second day she had not shown up for work and he was concerned. That’s when they found her in the basement in a hidden room.

Rich, she nearly died of the wounds he had caused her, she had lost nearly half of her blood, and was in severe pain from the fibroid growing in her womb.

She spent all of November in the hospital recovering. The scars on her groin were only half of what he did to her. Many of her wounds you wouldn’t be able to see unless you took x-rays.” She tells Richard.

Much of this Rich heard Harley tell the judge, but his head popped up at Scarlett’s last statement.

“What do you mean, Scarlett, she had other injuries that didn’t leave a visible scar?” Scarlett nods. “If I show this to you, you must never tell her that I did so and never tell her I still have these.” She tells him. “I gave copies to Alex and your attorney so the judge has seen them, but they all were told never to reveal how they got these pictures. She doesn’t know I took them and still have them just in case something like this happened.” She explains.

His eyes get huge and he nods. She pulls up a hidden file on her phone and opens it. “Here, swipe to the right to see each picture. This was all from the last time he captured her and abused her.” She tells him and hands him her phone.

Richard slowly swipes through the two dozen photos of you showing how battered and broken you truly were. The last six photos were of the x-rays of your injuries. You had a severe concussion, both arms broken in multiple places, a broken pelvis, broken legs and multiple broken ribs.

His eyes were burning from the tears he was trying to hold back and he handed the phone back to Scarlett. He put his head in his hands and wept. “How, how could someone do this to a young woman!” he asked.

“Rich, her ex has no moral compass. He only cared about causing pain. He got off on it and thrived on it. I found out later that she was lucky. His last three girlfriends disappeared and were never found.” She tells him. “I never told Harley that though, so do not mention it to her.”

Rich nodded.

“Rich now, that you have seen and heard what she has gone through, imagine going through all that with no family to protect, love and encourage you. I was all she had. For the last three years her only desire was to be loved and protected and cherished. Although I loved her and tried to protect her and do cherish her, it’s not the same as the kind given by a significant other or parents.

She missed her family terribly. It was an ache that neither of us thought would ever be fulfilled. When Aiden introduced me to Graham and he and I realized that he was the guy we had seen earlier in the day and that Harley was the woman he had nearly toppled as we shopped, we began to talk about her and he began to ask questions, getting to know us.

He kept telling me he knew this really great guy, who has been alone for quite some time and has all but given up on finding love. I chuckled and replied that Harley was the same way. She spent six weeks in a body cast and had a miserable Christmas with her boyfriend, who somehow weazled his way back into her life after getting out on bail from the arrest. When he found out that Harley needed surgery to remove her womb and ovaries to get rid of the incredible pain and bleeding she experienced each moth, he was livid. And said all kinds of horrible things. Rich, he devastated her. All she ever wanted was to be a wife and a mother. He stripped her hope and dreams of ever being both.

She fell into a deep depression and only just came out of it shortly before being given the ‘all clear’ to resume normal activities. She said she was done with men, never dreaming you would come along and sweep her off her feet.

I had mentioned to Graham that her parents had died, and she had no family now except me as an unofficial adopted sister. He hummed and apparently talked to his wife about it and they decided to unofficially adopt her. Rich, she has been so much happier and relaxed since then. It’s like she feels like she has a safety net once again to fall back into if something happens. And as much as she loves you, that fear will always be in the back of her mind. No offense, you’re a great guy.

I don’t know what triggered Graham and his wife to want to adopt her officially. Maybe they want to just make sure that safety net for her is set in stone, so she knows it won’t disappear too. I don’t think they meant to cause any friction between you and Harley. Graham knows you love Harley and would do anything for her. We all can see it.

So why is this whole adoption thing bugging you?” she asks.

Richard sighs. “I don’t know. I guess it just seemed to me that I could be the one to give her a family if she gave me enough time. I kinda felt like they were ripping the rug out from under my feet by offering her an instant one.” he replies.

Scarlett nods. “I get it.” She tells him. “Rich. The type of family they are offering her isn’t going to take the place of the one you want to offer her. You have parents and siblings, and want a family of your own, right?” she asks.

He nods.

“Then why can’t Harley have that too? Graham and his wife want to be her adoptive parents. Their kids want a big sister (or two) and I know she wants to have a husband who loves her and worships the ground she walks on. You two can always adopt if you want kiddos of your own.” She tells him.

He sees what Scarlett is saying. “It’s just…ugh...” he says.

“It’s just that your co-worker would be your adoptive father in law?” Scarlett fills in the blanks.

Rich’s head nods. “Yeah. It’s just gonna feel weird.” He replies.

Scarlett laughs. “Only if you want it to, Rich. Graham seemed thrilled at the idea of you and Harley getting married. Didn’t you see the look on his face when Harley got those three fortunes in the cookies the other night?” she asks him.

Rich looks at Scarlett in disbelief. “Huh? Really?” he asks.

Scarlett nods. “Yeah, Rich. He seemed thrilled. I think he’d like to have you as a son-in-law. If you’re nervous about it, then talk to him. And if you are serious about asking Harley to marry you, I know the perfect ring and the way to guarantee to get her to say yes.” Scarlett’s eyes sparkle with mischief.

Richard looks at her with a raised eyebrow and a ever so slight smirk.

Scarlett recognizes the look from when he played Sir Guy of Gisborne on Robin Hood and gives him a huge grin.

“And how would you know what kind of ring she wants and how to get her to say yes?” he asks as he sits up and leans back against the chair’s back, crossing his arms across his chest. His voice a little lower than what he usually speaks in.

Scarlett grins. “We went ring shopping one day, just for shits and giggles. Daydreaming of the day a man would ask us to marry him. We talked about the different possible ways he’d propose and what kind of ring we’d want.” She teases. “Oh, and by the way, she’s not a fan of diamonds.”

Richard’s eyes go wide. “What woman doesn’t want diamonds?”

Scarlett giggles. “Um yours. She is not very impressed with them. If you really want to impress her give her an emerald or a sapphire. It can be surrounded by diamond chips, but don’t make the diamond the main stone. Harley likes the old ways of doing many things. She wants a knight in dinged up armor. One who has proven that he will stay with her no matter what and will defend her if it costs him his life…hmmm… sounds like someone I know…” she teases and taps her finger to her lips.

Richard blushes and grins. “So, tell me Miss Harley expert, should I take you with me as a consultant when I decide to go shopping for a ring when that time comes?” he asks.

“As long as you take Aiden with us, so the paparazzi don’t get any odd ideas.” Scarlett teases with a wink.

Richard grins. “Thanks, Scarlett... I owe Harley an apology.” He says standing.

“I’m glad we could get it worked out before one of you said something you’d regret.” She tells him. “Now go, apologize to your lady in waiting.” She teases, earning a grin from him. “I’ll be in after a bit.” She tells him.

Richard opens the door to the waiting room and goes back to the room. Aiden and Lee are gone and Graham is sitting with Harley. She’s sleeping and he’s reading his book sitting next to her. He glances up when he sees Rich come in. Rich sees he’s upset and looks over at Harley. Her eyes are red, and she looks exhausted.

Richard drops his head. “I’m sorry, Graham. I didn’t understand what you and Gwen were trying to do for her.” He says quietly as he sits down on a chair at the end of the bed and leans forward resting his forehead and hands on the footboard.

Phantom comes over and sits between Rich’s legs and rests his chin on Richard’s thigh. Rich sighs and sits up, and pets him trying to find the words to apologize to his friend.

Graham sees how Richard’s attitude and carriage are different from when he left. His shoulders now are slumped forward, and he hangs his head, looking at the floor with a frown.

“I shoulda asked ye if it was gonna be a problem fer ye, Rich. Gwen and I were just so excited when we found it was something that was possible for us to do. It broke my heart to hear her tell the judge the things she did. I think it did the same for ye too, if I’m not mistaken.” He says to Rich. “Regardless, we both want to see her protected and provided fer, right?” he asks.

Rich nods.

“Rich, you’ve been doing a marvelous job protecting and providin’ for her. Yer quick thinking with Phantom kept her here with us. Fer that, Gwen and the Girls and I will be forever grateful. I’m sure Scarlett would say the same thing, as would Todd and Alex. You two have been a godsend to each other.

We’re all happy fer ya both that yer finally finding unconditional love in each other after all this time waiting and she deserves you, Rich. You make her happy and feel loved and safe.” He tells his friend.

“I didn’t make her happy though by how I reacted when she showed me the adoption papers.” Rich says quietly. “I made her cry, didn’t I?” he says.

Graham sighs. “Yes, Lad, ye did. But I’m guessing Scarlett had a talk with ye and straightened things out?” he asks.

Richard nods. “I’m glad that you and Gwen want to be there for her and want her to be a part of your family. She deserves a family that will love her like her parents used to. She deserves to have siblings to enjoy.” Rich tells Graham.

“She deserves a man who wants to marry her and give her a family and a happy life too, Rich. You have already been slowly building to that point. Although yer movin’ at a turtle’s pace!” he teases, earning a grin and chuckle from Rich. “It’s okay to take it slow, though, Rich. She’s been through so much more than we ever imagined a person could deal with. Let her continue to set the pace. When the time is right, to ask her, you’ll know. And you have Gwen’s and my blessing to do so.” Graham tells Rich.

Richard looks up at him surprised. “Really?” he asks quietly.

Graham nods. “Rich, you’re my friend, and my coworker. I’ve see you at your best and at your worst. I couldn’t ask for a better man for one of my girls! I hope my Hope and Honor find men as wonderful as you!” he tells Rich.

Rich looks back down at Phantom. Touched by his friend’s words of encouragement and acceptance. “Thanks Pops.” He teases.

Graham chuckles. “Now, are ye staying here tonight with her, or are ye needin’ a ride home.” He asks.

“I’ll stay here with her. Lee and I stopped at my place so I could get a change of clothes. I have to be at work for 6am though, so I’ll have to leave here and take a cab to work.” Richard replies.

“When ye getting’ yer car back?” Graham asks.

“It sounds like I probably won’t.” Rich sighs. “I really liked that car too.” He bemoans.

“So when are ye gonna go get a new one?” Graham asks.

“Probably soon. I see now why Harley would get so frustrated at not having a way to get around.” Rich sighs. “Maybe we can go look at cars on Sunday. I’m gonna have a long day tomorrow and probably won’t get done till late. Then I’ll have another long day on Monday. Filming should be done by Monday night if we can get everything filmed in the time the director allotted.” Richard explains.

Graham nods. “Good. Rich, have ye thought about what she’ll wear to the premieres?” Graham asks.

Rich nodded. He motions for Graham to come over to him and he pulls up the pink and gold dress photo. “I saw this dress and fell in love with it, I contacted the designer and asked if she could make something similar for Harley. I sent her the pictures I’ve taken of her and told her to make it using whatever color she thought would look best on Harley. I hope she likes it.” He says. “I thought she could wear it for the London or Hong Kong premiere.”

Graham looks at the dress then up at Harley, and nods. “It’ll look smashing on her! What are you having her wear for the other three?” Graham asks.

“Well I thought she could wear the dress you and Gwen bought her for the NY premiere since it’s the first one. Scarlett found this one for Harley and I absolutely love it just as it is.” He tells Graham and shows him the photo of the black dress with the red fur trim along the bottom.

Graham’s jaw drops. “Wow, Rich! That’s gorgeous! Harley will look amazing in it! Is that one for the LA premiere or the Hong Kong one?” he asks.

Rich thinks for a minute. “I think it would work for either one. I figured I’d let Harley pick out the last dress and she can decide if she wants to wear it for the LA one or the Hong Kong one.” he replies.

Graham nods. “I think someone is going to be dishing out quite a hefty chunk for dresses for a certain lass for a while.” Graham winks.

Rich chuckles. “What? Pops not gonna help out with this?” he teases back with a wink.

Graham laughs. “How bout we share the expenses for a while.” He offers. Rich nods.

“What are you two babbling about? What expenses?” they hear coming from the bed.

They both glance up and see you sleepily rubbing your eyes and then frown at the two of them.

Rich gets up and comes over to you. He sits down next to you and takes your hands and kisses them. “I’m sorry I acted the way I did, Love, when you showed me the adoption papers. It caught me off guard and I didn’t understand completely what was going on. I took things the wrong way and reacted poorly. Will you forgive me?” he asks.

You look up at his face and see he is sincere. “They just want to adopt me formally, Rich. It doesn’t change how I feel about you.” You tell him.

“I know that now, Love.” He tells you and kisses your hands again.

You nod. “I forgive you, Rich.” You tell him. “Now what is this about sharing expenses? What expenses are you two mischievous men planning on sharing?”

They both smirk. “These kind of expenses…” Rich tells you as he shows you the picture of the black velvet dress with the red fur trim around the bottom. And then swipes to the pretty pink dress with the gold at the bottom.

Your jaw drops. “Oh my God, Rich!!! That black one is absolutely gorgeous!!! Let me see that one again!!!” you exclaim and do the grabbie hands.

He chuckles and flips back to that one. You oooohhh and ahhhh and fawn over that one. Then flip back to the other one. “It’s a pretty design, but I don’t know about the pink.” You say with a frown. I’m not ready for those types of colors yet.”

“Sweetheart, why do you want to wear black all the time?” Graham asks. “Scarlett said you used to wear other colors all the time!” he says.

You frown. “I guess they just remind me of my past. I guess I thought the colors attracted the wrong kind of men. So, I just wore all black thinking it would keep them away from me.” You explain, “But I suppose it sounds like a dumb reason.”

Richard hugs you, “No, Sweetheart, it’s not a dumb reason. I understand why. How about we start with just dark colors, and not just black. When you feel comfortable wearing them, then we can slowly work other colors back in?” he suggests.

You look up at him then over at Graham, who smiles and nods. “We’re here with ye, Lass, ye got Phantom too. He won’t let anything happen to you if he can help it.” He assures you.

You sigh. “Ok.”

Richard grins. “I asked the designer of the black and red dress to make it for you in your size. Scarlett gave me your sizes and I sent them off to the designer. This morning.” He tells you.

Your jaw drops and you look at him stunned. He sees your eyes get glassy and you quickly drop your head to hide them. “Why would you do that for me?” you ask quietly.

“Because I love you and I want to give you beautiful things and I want you to have nice things to wear for special occasions. I also asked the designer of the pink and gold dress to make you something similar for the movie premiere. We are to meet with her next Thursday so you two can figure out what color fabric you want her to use. I thought it would be pretty with a dark blue or emerald green or a royal purple with the gold like in the pink dress, but I told her to use what ever would look best on you. I sent her some pics of you that I had taken so she could see what you looked like and told her you wear mostly black and that you love corsets.” He says with a grin.

Your head pops back up and you look at him surprised. You got me TWO beautiful gowns?!?” you exclaim in shock.

He grins and nods. “You deserve it, my love.” And no, they are not returnable, so you’re stuck with them, he tells you as he grabs your face and gives you a searing kiss to get you to stop protesting his purchases.

Graham chuckles at the two of you and when Richard releases you from the kiss, you open your mouth to say something and he grins and kisses you again, which makes Graham laugh.

He pats your back when Rich releases you from the kiss and Graham tells you, “Don’t waste yer breath, Sweetheart, he’s gonna keep doing it till ye give in.” he says with a wink.

You sigh, “Fine.”

Graham chuckles. “Sweetheart, there are four movie premieres for this movie. The first is here in NY, then there will be one in LA, then one in London, then the last one is in Hong Kong. You now have three dresses. The one I bought you, the black and red one, the gold and whatever color you choose one, and you still need one more dress. Rich thought you might want to pick the last one out since Scarlett picked the black and red one for you.”

You smirk, “I figured she was the one to find it and show it to you. She knows my style better than anyone. Well, if you insist I have a new dress for each one, then I suppose I have no choice. Where does one shop for such things?”

Richard and Graham chuckle. “We have our favourite designers. The one I got for ye, came from my wife’s favourite designer.” Graham tells you. “Richard and Scarlett will help you find a dress, I’m sure.” Graham assures you. “And since Richard is getting you two dresses, Gwen and I will get you the last one.” he tells you.

You open your mouth to protest, but Graham gives you a raised eyebrow and you decide not to argue with him. “Okay, Pops. Do I have a price limit? I suppose these gowns cost quite a lot. Which is a pity since they only seem to ever be worn once.”

“You can wear them as often as you like, Sweetheart, after the premieres are done. You know how Hollywood likes to see a new dress on a lass each time there’s an important event. But I do know that many of the actresses will occasionally re-wear a gown or outfit if they really like it, they just leave a good amount of time between wearing it to events so no one really notices it unless they are looking for repeat dresses. Sometimes they will slightly change the look of the dress by having it altered in some way or they add a wrap or have a jacket made to match the dress. There are a lot of creative designers in the market who love to do that kind of thing.” Graham tells you.

You nod and grab your phone. You google fashion designers for the current year and the prior year and begin to scroll through the gowns. You all laugh at how ridiculous some of the designs are, then others you three oogle over. You save the images of the ones you like and once you have several you tell them you will ask Scarlett what she thinks.

They nod and Graham yawns. He looks at the time and tells you it’s bedtime for all three of you. He kisses the top of your head and wishes you a good night. “I’ll check in with ye tomorrow, Sweetheart.” He tells you then bids you both goodnight and heads out.


	29. Chapter 29

Richard grins and goes to grab his pj’s from his bag. He goes into the bathroom and changes then comes out and lays his clothes on top of the bag.

“I have to be at work for 6am, Sweetheart, so if I’m not here when you wake up, that’s why. It’ll be a long day for me, and I won’t be done till pretty late. I’ll check in with you as often as I can though throughout the day, okay?” he tells you.

You sigh and nod. “Ok, Rich.”

He climbs into the bed with you and holds you close. “I love you Sweetheart. I hope you know that.” He tells you.

You snuggle into his warmth and nod. “Mmmhmm.” You murmur as you wrap your arms around his torso.

Rich pets your hair and daydreams how else he can show you how he loves you. He isn’t sure how you feel about music. He realizes he hasn’t played his cello or flute or guitar in a while and makes a mental note to start doing that again. Perhaps it would help you relax.

“Do you like to listen to relaxing music, Sweetheart?” he asks.

You lift your head off his chest and look at his face. “I don’t know. I’ve never thought of it. What did you have in mind?” you ask.

“Haven’t you ever gone to a symphony orchestra concert or a band concert or a chamber orchestra concert where they play relaxing music?” he asks.

You look at him confused. “I’m not sure what you mean.” You reply. “The only concerts I’ve ever been to were rock concerts with my exes.” You say.

Richard sighs, “Here, I will play some for you, tell me what you think of them.” He tells you.

He pulls up Spotify on his phone. He searches for ‘Orchestral Music’ and finds “Cannon in D Major by Johann Pachelbel. He hits play and lets you listen to it.

You close your eyes and lay your head on his chest and listen to the piano playing it. When it finished, you murmured. “That was pretty.” Which made Richard grin. “Haven’t you ever heard music like that before?”

You shake your head, “No. Can we listen to some more?” you ask.

Richard grins and pulls up his favourite cellist, Yo-Yo Ma and pulls up his performance of Bach’s Orchestral Suite no. 3 for cello. He presses play and the music begins.

Rich closes his eyes enjoying the sound. His fingers on his left hand moving to the fingering of the notes as if he was playing it. When the song ends you sigh. “That was pretty too, but it sounded kind of sad.

Rich looks down at his phone and looks for something else to play for you. He grins and plays “Für Elise” by Beethoven. The two of you listen to it and you tell him you like that one.

Then he pulls up Tchaikovsky’s “Trepak, Russischer Tanz” from the Nutcracker suite. He presses play and your head pops up when you hear it. “I know that song!” you exclaim, “It’s from the Nutcracker ballet!” you squeal excitedly.

Richard grins. “You’ve seen the nutcracker ballet?” he asks, rather surprised.

You grin, “I was Clara in it when I was a little girl.” You say shyly. I was in Ballet when I was little. I had completely forgotten about it until I heard the song!” you tell him as the memories come flooding back to you.

Richard looks at you surprised. “I thought you said you haven’t heard Classical music before.” He asks.

You sigh, “There’s a lot of my past I don’t remember, Rich. The doctors think it was because of all the abuse I suffered and the head injuries. I had a really bad concussion last Halloween. I didn’t remember being in ballet or hearing classical music until that song triggered the memory.” You explain sadly.

He just pulls you back down and says, “It’s fine, Sweetheart, let’s see what other songs you recognize or like.” He tells you.

He pulls up ‘Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major’ and pushes play. You listen to the stringed instruments play and you tap your fingers to the rhythm on his chest lightly.

Richard smiles and shifts slightly when he realizes his battery is getting low on his phone. Once the song is done, he moves you off for a moment so he can plug in his phone to let it charge.

“Here, I know a classical station on the radio, lets see if I can find it on here.” He says and pulls up the control panel for the bed. He fiddles with it till he gets the radio on and then flips through the stations till he finds the one he was looking for. He lowers the volume and then lays back down. You lay on his chest and cuddle into him and close your eyes, listening to the music and enjoy the feeling of Richard gently rubbing your back. Richard made sure to make mental notes of which songs you enjoyed and which ones you recognized. He was amused how excited you'd get when you'd hear a song you'd recognize. 

For you it was like opening gifts at Christmas. So many happy childhood memories were suddenly popping into your head from just hearing different songs. You'd quietly tell Rich about each one. Sometimes they were Saturday morning cartoons that had used the song, others were from your ballet lessons and different performances you had done.

Rich grinned when you made the off hand comment, “I wonder if I could still do the different ballet steps and dances I had learned as a little girl all those years ago. I wonder if my body still remembers how to do it even if my brain can’t. Hmmm… maybe I can get a pair of toe shoes and give it a try once my leg is fully healed.”

Richard decided he’d surprise you and get you a pair and some regular ballet shoes in case you want to practice and like doing it.

Eventually you both fall asleep listening to the calming classical music. You dream of dancing with Richard in a beautiful gown, feeling like a pretty princess all night long.


	30. Chapter 30

You wake up to the sound of thunder and rain. You open your eyes and see that it’s early morning and it’s raining heavily outside. You look around and realize Richard is gone off to work. Glancing at the clock it says 6:15am. Damn it, you missed him. You sigh and roll over. Your face hits something crinkly. You lift your head and find a piece of paper there.

Picking it up, you see it’s a pink envelope with a rose bud taped to it.

  
Opening it, you find a beautiful card with a big heart on it that says, ‘I LOVE You” on it and a lovely little poem:

_“Have I told you yet…_

_How much you mean to me…_

_Have I told you yet…_

_About all the happiness you bring to me…_

_Have I told you yet…_

_That you mean the world to me…_

_You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me…_

_Just in case I haven’t …_

_I want you to know..._

_I love you…”_

On the inside of the card, he wrote:

_“I love you because:_

  * _you never completely lost hope, even when you were in the darkest time of your life._
  * _you’re stubborn and don’t give up easily_
  * _you’re a ray of sunshine in our life_
  * _you make me laugh_
  * _you make me cry_
  * _you give me hope_
  * _you always surprise me with what you say/do_
  * _you’re weird, just like me_ _😉_
  * _you smell good (especially your hair)_
  * _you have soft, looooooonnnngggg, sexy hair_
  * _you like wearing leather and corsets_
  * _you turn me on with just a look or touch_
  * _you serenaded me_
  * _you make my heart sing_
  * _you like cherry and grape popsicles…mine!_ _😉_
  * _you make my heart pound whenever I’m around you_
  * _you understand me_
  * _you inspire me with your bravery and resilience_
  * _you think I’m handsome_
  * _you like my dadbod, grey hairs and my wrinkles_
  * _you give me goose bumps when you touch me and kiss me_
  * _your smile and eyes are beautiful…(and so is the rest of you)_
  * _you love me for who I am, not what I am nor how much I earn._
  * _you let me pamper and take care of you._
  * _You have hauntingly beautiful eyes_
  * _you gave me a chance, took a risk, and agreed to date me._ _😊_
  * _you’re the B.E.S.T. thing that has ever come into my life. Thank you!! I <3 U!!!_



_< 3 ~ Rich”_

Your eyes well up when you see what he wrote. You take a picture of the outside and inside of the card and save them to your phone.

Then you put the card on the counter by your bed and look at it, grinning like a love-sick fool.

You think about Richard and all he has done for you. You think the same about Graham and Scarlett and Aiden, Martin and Amanda, Lee, Alex, and Todd. You realize how incredibly blessed you are to have them in your life.

You pull up the winery’s website on your phone and look at the dates they have for the wine tasting events. You grab the tickets for the movie premieres and put the dates into your calendar. You realize that you don’t know the schedules for the interviews that Rich will have to do. You don’t want this gift to conflict with his events. But you don’t know how to get a hold of his agent to get her help in setting this up.

You lay there, wondering what to do. Suddenly there’s a soft knock on the door. Phantom ‘Wuffs’ and trots to the door. “Who is it?” you ask.

You hear a familiar chuckle and tell him to come in.

Graham comes in carrying a tray of cups and a bag of food. “Mornin’ Sweetheart!” he tells you.

“You’re up early!” you reply, earning a nod from him.

“I gave Rich a ride to work since it was downpouring.” He tells you as he grabs some paper towels and wipes off his head and face from the water dripping down. “He asked me to pick you up some breakfast.” He tells you.

You grin. “Great, I’m hungry!” you tell him. He chuckles, “You are always hungry when I see you, Lass.”

You giggle and nod.

As the two of you enjoy breakfast, you tell Graham your idea of taking Rich to the winery for a private wine tasting and tour. “Do you think he’d like it?” you ask.

Graham nods. “He’d love it, Harley.” He tells you. “When did you want to do it?” he asks.

“That’s just it, I don’t know his schedule, especially now with the movie wrapping up. He hinted that there would be a lot of press interviews, tv shows, and of course the premieres. I know he’ll be busy so I’m not sure when it would be best to do this.” You explain.

Graham nods, then grins. “I have his agent’s phone number, let me message her and see if she can help us out.” He tells you.

“Make sure you tell her I want to keep this a surprise for him.” You tell Graham.

He nods.

“She says she will stop by later on today and the two of you can plot.” He tells you.

You giggle, “She actually said we’d plot?” you ask.

He nods and shows you the message.

“OOOooohhh I like her already!” you say with an evil grin and laugh, you press your fingers together like an evil cartoon character.

Graham laughs heartily. “Sweetheart, something tells me, that with her help, you’ll keep Rich on his toes in this relationship.”

You just give him a huge grin and nod. “Yes, she can be my evil minion sidekick! Muahhaha!” you tease.

Graham laughs heartily and tosses you a breakfast sandwich and hands you your container of tater tots.

At 8am, the doctor comes to see you and check to see how your leg is healing. He presses around the entry and exit wounds and tells you they are healing nicely. The two wounds have a nice layer of new skin forming over the openings where he stitched you up, and he tells you by Monday, you can start moving around for short amounts of time on the crutches. “NO weight bearing yet, though!”

He explains that the wound will heal from the outside to the inside. So the last part to heal will be the very center of your thigh. He tells you it will be sensitive there for quite a while and he doesn’t want you to overwork it for about a month.

You sigh and nod. “Ok.”

What about traveling, flying?” Graham asks. “We have four movie premieres she is supposed to be attending starting in about three weeks.” He tells the doctor.

He thinks for a minute. “She should be ok for flying and the premieres, as long as she isn’t walking a lot. She will still be healing from the inside by that time and too much walking could tear the new tissue forming and give her quite a lot of pain. I will send some pain killers with but only use them sparingly. He tells you. Try to only take over the counter pain meds if you can help it.” He recommends. “You may still be on crutches for the first premiere or two, though.” He warns. “It will just depend on how fast your body heals. And whether or not you follow the rules.” He tells you.

“I’m going to leave the bandages off for now, just be careful when moving around in the bed, so you don’t catch the stitches and scabs on the bedding and tear them.” He informs you.

Graham thanks the doctor for the information and he nods. “I’ll come check on you on Monday. I am off this weekend so there’ll be a different doctor checking in with you then.” He tells you.

You thank him and nod.

Graham can see you’re bummed by the news.

“You ok, Lass?” he asks.

You sigh. “I was just hoping I wasn’t gonna need the crutches for the movie premieres. I didn’t want to have to bring up my ex and getting shot. This is supposed to be about you and Rich and the movie, not about Rich’s girlfriend and her crazy ex.” You tell him.

He pats your shoulder. “It can’t be helped, Sweetie. If ye need the crutches to walk, then ye better be usin’ em. We’ll ask Rich’s agent if she has any ideas how you can answer the question of the crutches if someone asks so that you don’t have to lie and don’t have to mention the ex or being shot.” Graham tells you.

“Have ye thought any more about the final dress?” he asks you.

You nod. I’ve narrowed it down to these:” you tell him and show him the pictures.

Graham’s eyes sparkle when he sees the gowns. “You’d look smashing in any of them, Sweetie.” He tells you.

“I love them all and I just can’t seem to decide which one. So, everyone who comes in today gets to pick one and cast a vote.” You tell him with a grin. “The dress with the most votes wins.” You giggle.

He chuckles and looks at the six dresses again. “Harley, only one of these has a corset on it. Are you sure you would wear these other ones with no corset?” he asks you.

You chuckle. “If you notice, the backs on them all are completely covered, so I could put a corset under the dress and still be able to wear them.” You explain. The only one I won’t be able to do that with is the one Scarlett picked out. Unless I find a red one that would match the red in the dress, but I don’t know how that would look under it. I might need to wear a specially designed jacket to cover the back so I could have a corset under it.” You explain.

“Do you have to wear the corset all the time, Sweetheart?” Graham asks.

“No, but it helps me feel better and more confident. It helps hold my belly in and supports it.” You explain.

He hums. “Come here, Sweetheart.” He tells you. You carefully scoot to the edge of the bed and he carefully moves your legs off the edge of the bed. “Stand up on yer good leg.” He tells you.

You do what he asked. “Just try to stand as normal as ye can.” He tells you. You do and look at him puzzled.

He takes a few steps back and looks at you for a minute then nods. “I think ye can do without the corset for one day, kiddo. Ye look just fine without it.” He tells you. “You’ll see what I mean when we get the dress on ye.” He tells you. “Now sit yer butt back in the bed.” He says with a chuckle.

You sigh and get back in bed and the two of you enjoy visiting. You ask Graham what he plans to do after the movie premieres. “Do you have anything in the works?” you ask.

He chuckles. “Naaa, Lassie. I think I’ll take a bit of a break and head home with my girls for some family time. I’ve been gone for quite a while, so I figured I had better hang out with them for a while, so they don’t feel left out.” He grins. “You and Rich should join us in New Zealand, You can get to know Gwen and the girls more and we could give you the tour so you can get a feeling for the country. See if you want to get Dual Citizenship or not.” He mentions with a wink.

You giggle. “I’d like to, but I have no idea what Rich’s schedule is looking like. I’d have to ask him about it.” you say and jump when a loud clap of thunder cracks close by.

Graham chuckles.

Phantom looks up and whines. He stands and goes over to the closet door and takes the leash in his mouth and comes over to Graham. He plops it on Graham’s leg and whines. “Don’t tell me you gotta gout to do your thing, Pup. It’s raining cats and dogs out there!” Graham exclaims.

Phantom looks at him and goes to the door and does his little dance, telling him he needs to go outside. Graham sighs, “I’ll be right back, Sweetie.” He sighs. You giggle and watch them head out into the hallway.

You realize the classical music station is still playing quietly from your bedside speaker. Rich must’ve turned it down when he left this morning since you were sleeping. You turn it up a little and close your eyes and listen to it.

You begin to remember some of the ballet recitals you danced to when you hear certain songs. And you realize how much you miss dancing. You google “ballet schools in NYC” and a whole bunch of them show up. You grin and save the search page for later on.

Another clap of thunder cracks across the sky and you jump. You decide to text Rich. “ _Hey Love. Thank you for the beautiful card and note inside it! I love you too! Despite the rain and thunder, I hope you have a good day. Look forward to tonight and being in your arms again. Xoxo Harley._ ”

You sigh and close your eyes again and listen to the sound of the rain hitting the window and the music playing softly by your head.

You hear Graham’s voice in the hallway and glance at the door and giggle when he walks in. Both he and Phantom look like half drowned rats. Phantom’s fur was dripping water and Graham’s clothes were soaked. He frowned. “Well that was just a whole ton of not fun!” he said and looked around. You quickly snap a photo and send it to Rich. _“They just came in from a bathroom break for Phantom. Looks like I have a couple of drowned rats in my room!”_ _😉_

Just then a nurse came running in and handed him a couple of towels so he could try to dry off and get Phantom’s fur dried.

You giggle and he tosses you one of the towels. “Here, Missy, dry off your pup, while I go dry off in the bathroom. Is Rich’s gym bag still here?” he asks. You shrug. “If it is, it’ll be in the closet.” You tell him.

He looks and finds it and grabs the sweatpants and t-shirt he finds in it. “I’m gonna borrow these since mine are soaked.” He says and you grin. “I won’t tell, Pops.” You tease.

He gives you a mischievous look, then heads into the bathroom.

You slip out of the bed and gingerly sit on the edge of the chair by your bed. You call Phantom over to you and take off the vest. You groan when you see water got into the pocket and all the papers are wet. You carefully take them out and open them. You lay them out on your bed for the moment and drape the vest over the IV pole above your head and off to your right.

Phantom shakes and sprays water everywhere, making you giggle. “Phantom!!!” you tell him. He pants and stands up on his hind legs with his front paws on your knees. You dry off his head, neck, shoulders and front paws then move to do his chest when Graham comes out of the bathroom chuckling. He tosses the shirt back into the gym bag and comes to see how you’re doing. He’s in Rich’s sweats and has a bare chest. You look up at him when he chuckles, and you freeze for a moment at the sight of his broad chest covered in hair. “Shirt was too small.” He says, grinning at your reaction.

You blink a couple times and then grin. “Um, watch your step, Pops. Phantom dripped water over there somewhere and he shot it all over this side of the room when he decided to shake.” You tell him. “Could you get his bottom half? I can’t reach. I got his upper half though.” You ask.

Graham nods, makes his way over and kneels down. You hand him the towel and he dries off the lower half of the dog. You giggle cuz now Phantom looks like a big black poof of a cloud. “Phantom, your looking like a black sheep with such poofy fur now. I guess we’ll have to brush it once you are all dried.” He says.

“Wuff” Phantom replies and hops down. He goes over to his food and munches for a while and then goes to grab his mallard duck toy. He brings it over to you and shakes it, making it squeak. You grab it and the two of you play tug of war. Graham chuckles as he wipes up the floor where Phantom got water all over.

Once he got that taken care of he looks at the bed. “Papers got wet?” he asks. You nod as Phantom loses his grip on the toy and it smacks you in the chest. “OW!” you yelp. Graham chuckles. “Hurts, doesn’t it!” he teases. You nod and rub where it hit. You chuck the toy over by the door and he chases after it, then brings it back to you and drops it at your feet. “Phantom, I can’t reach it when you drop it at my feet. Put it here…” you tell him and pat your lap. He looks at you confused then down at the toy. Then back up at you. You hold out your hand and he tilts his head and looks puzzled. You point at the toy and hold your hand out. He whines, not understanding what you want. You point at the toy. He picks it up and you hold out your hand. He looks at it and plops it in your hand. “Good boy!!!” you tell him and his tail wags.

You play the fetch game with him for a while and Graham watches, amused. He picks up the wet papers and frowns. The writing is all blurred from the rain. “I’ll call Mark and see if we can get replacements. These can’t be read even once they dry. The ink got all smeared. I guess we kind of forgot to grab a plastic zipper baggie for them.” He says and grabs his phone. “Shit! It got wet and isn’t working!” he growls and frowns, tossing it on the bedside table.

“I’m sorry, Graham. I know you hadn’t planned on getting soaked.” You tell him.

He sighs, “It’s not your fault, Harley. I forgot to leave it up here with my wallet.” He chuckles. I got everything draped on the grab bars in the bathroom and shower area.” He giggles. “Wet cash everywhere!” he smirks.

You bust up laughing and tease him, “Laundering money, Pops?” He grins and gives you the stink eye. “Not exactly.” He chuckles’

The nurse comes in to see how everyone is doing and gets flustered by Graham in a bare chest. He chuckles. She offers to take his clothes and put them in the dryer for him. He thanks her, and goes, gathers them up and hands them to her. She nods. You ask her if she could take a look at something for you and tell you what she thinks. Nodding, she sets the wet clothes on the sink and comes over.

You explain about the dresses and going to the movie premieres and ask her which dress she thinks you should wear. You tell her you can’t decide. She looks at each dress, then looks at you and thinks for a minute. She points at the sparkly emerald green one with the long blue lined sleeves. “I like that one the best.” She replies. You grin and thank her, placing a little tally mark in the top right corner.

Graham chuckles and says he likes the teal and navy blue one. “You’d look like a princess in it.” You put a tally mark by it. He tells you. “Hey, we should have Gwen and the girls take a look at them and tell you which one they like.” He suggests. You save the set of photos on your laptop after sending them there and you send the two girls and Gwen an email asking them which one they like. You place a little number by each one so they know how to reply. They each get one vote. You hit send and put the phone down and close the laptop.

“Ok, so we have one vote for dress #2 and one vote for dress #5.” You write down in the note below the photos.

Graham chuckles.

“So, now that the dresses are in the works do you have any idea when you’re going to do the move into the apartment?” he asks. You sigh, “I really wanted to be there when the stuff gets hauled in so I can tell them where to set everything, but now, I’m thinking it might be best to just see if they can unload it into the apartment when they have a free day, so it’s out of their way and we can get it sorted once I’m out of here.” You say. Graham nods. “We’ll help ya, Lass, with shifting stuff and unpackin yer stuff, since you’ll be limited on what ya can move and do for a few weeks.”

You sigh and growl, “Ugggh! Why did he have to fire that gun at me!?! Why did he have to do any of this!?!” you say frustrated. “I’m SO tired of this shitshow with him, Pops. I just want to finally be able to move on and every time I start to, he shows up again and fucks it up!” you pout.

“I know, Sweetheart. It’s frustrating. But he’s in custody, and it sounds like he won’t be getting out, ever, if the prosecution can have their way.” Graham tells you.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Age 18+ readers only!!!  
> Mentions of abuse, sex, rape, murder

“Honey, you are lucky you were able to get away from him when you did.” Graham tells you as he caresses your face.

You look up at him confused. “What do you mean?” you ask.

Graham sighs, “Didn’t Alex tell you?” he asks sitting on the chair by your bed. “Tell me what?” you reply with a frown.

Graham rubs his face and groans. “Ben was suspected in the disappearance of three former girlfriends that he had before you, apparently. Alex said the cases were never solved because they couldn’t pin anything on him, not enough solid evidence.

But once they found you in his hidden basement room, they reopened the investigation to the other three disappearances. They got a search warrant and found the bloody clothes of the girls in the basement and their blood was found in the room that you were found in. They were able to match DNA from the dried blood they collected from the different surfaces in the room.

About the time he attacked you last weekend, it was discovered that there were three unusual disturbances in his back yard. They were doing some kind of night flyover with drones and whatever kind of filter the drones had on them, allowed them to find the three unusual disturbances in the ground in Ben’s back yard. Each one was about three to four feet in diameter and seven feet deep.

When they went to investigate it, they found three bodies buried vertically in the ground. Each had a dead animal on top of them a few feet higher than the bodies to try to deter anyone from digging further.

Honey, he killed all three of his former girlfriends, you were the only one who managed to survive and escape!” he tells you quietly as he takes your hand in his and gives it a gentle squeeze.

You stare at him gobsmacked. He sees the look of shock and fear on your face and sees your eyes well up with tears. “Come here, Sweetheart.” He tells you and sits on the bed next to you. You pull yourself over to him, lean against his hairy chest and let him hold you while you bawl in his arms. He just holds you and lets you cry. “I know, Honey. I know. It’s scary news to find out. We were all afraid and shocked too when Alex told us. He asked us not to mention it to you for a while till you were doing better.” He explains.

“Honey, if you hadn’t told your former boss to send the cops when you did to look for you in the places you said to and specifically mentioned hidden rooms in a basement, they never would have found you alive and never would have solved those cases. You gave those cops the clue they needed, and you gave those three families closure because of your bravery.

I know what you’ve gone through was a nightmare. But know that all of us are SO very proud of you for surviving, not giving up and for being brave.” He tells you quietly as he holds you in a protective embrace. “You’re a smart little spitfire and ya just gotta hang on a bit longer then this will all be over.”

“This nightmare for you is almost done, Honey. You may be needed to testify in the actual court case against him, though. But from what Alex says, if convicted, your ex faces the death penalty and at the very least life in prison without parole.” He tells you. “He won’t be bothering you anymore.” Graham assures you.

“Now, even though he will be out of the picture, I still think it would be a good idea for you to learn some self-defense. The more options you have to protect yourself, the better.” He says. “Do you remember when we were watching those videos of the Lass in the Krav Maga class taking down the three guys my size?” he asks.

You nod, as you finally are calming down and just are sniffling now. “Do you still want to learn how to do that?” he asks as he leans back and looks down at your tear streaked face and dries your tears.

You nod. “Okay. I will check around and see if we can find a teacher in this area who can give you proper instruction in it. We’ll have to wait though till your leg is fully healed and the Doc okay’s it though.” He says.

You nod. “Okay, Pops.” You reply as you just stay there in his arms and enjoy his warm, hairy cuddles. “Todd said he and Alex can teach me how to use my knife to defend myself too, if I needed to ever use it. OH! Where is my knife? I had it attached to the underside of my corset when Ben attacked us!” you suddenly remember, sitting up.

Graham chuckles and pulls you back over to cuddle more. “Relax, Sweetheart, they gave it to Rich to hang on to. Its in his gym bag for now. I saw it in there when I grabbed these out of the bag.” He tells you, indicating the sweatpants.

You sigh, relieved. “Oh, good. Grandpa gave me that for my 18th birthday. It’s the only thing I have left from him. Everything else had to get left behind when I had to flee from my first ex.” You tell him sadly.

Graham puts his hand to your head and pets your hair, “I’m sorry, Sweetheart. Scarlett said your grandparents and parents were close to you?” Graham asks. You nod. “Yeah. Grandpa G and I did a lot of fun stuff together when I was little. We’d go golfing and fishing, and he taught me about trees and how to identify them by their leaves. He told me about his time in the military during WW2 and how he met Grandma and how he proposed to her via a love letter professing his love for her. The letter had the ring included! She accepted and took a train all by herself to the air base where he was stationed at and they got married on the base!” you tell Graham.

He chuckles. “Well that was pretty gutsy on both parts! Women, especially young ones back then didn’t typically take trips like that unchaperoned!” he remarks. You giggle. “Momma always said I reminded her of Grandma G. We had similar personalities.” You tell him. “I spent summers in London with them till I was 16. Grandpa sent me the knife and a birthday card from England for my 18th birthday since I couldn’t come visit any more. It got too expensive for us to do every year since we had moved to NYC, so we would go every other year for Christmas. Alternating the holiday with Poppa’s parents. Momma’s parents passed away when I was 19. Poppa’s passed away a year before Poppa and Momma did.” You explain.

“Mom and Dad bounced between the US and London for most of my early life. I was actually born in London, but I have US citizenship because of Poppa being a citizen. My parents and I would spend half the year in London and then half the year in Wisconsin until I was about 2 or 3 and then we stayed in Wisconsin and Momma and I would go to England during the summers so she could see family and friends while I got to hang out with Grams and Gramps.

When I met Scarlett and her family, they moved in next door from my family when we lived in Wisconsin. Her Dad and mine got to be good friends and my Dad got hers a job at the company he worked for. They were like an extension of our own family, her Dad and Mine were like brothers, and her Mom and mine were best friends. Our families moved to NYC when Scarlett and I were in High School when our Dads got transferred here. I stayed behind to be with my Boyfriend and finished out school there on the condition that I had to live with Dad’s parents. I got along with his Dad, but not his Mom. She and I fought constantly. I spent most of the time in the Garage with Gramps or at my boyfriend’s place, since Gramma and I got along so poorly.” You tell Graham.

He chuckles. “That sounds like it was an interesting time for you. Didn’t you miss your family and Scarlett?” Graham asks.

“Yeah, I missed them a lot. Scarlett and I wrote each other every day. I had a P.O. box to get mail at cuz Grandma would open it and read my mail if it was sent to their house. When my boyfriend started getting really mean and possessive, I escaped after sending Scarlett an e-mail from my school’s computer. She showed it to her parents and my parents and they sent a train ticket for me to the depot with a message that it was for me and I’d come to pick it up there since I was fleeing an abusive boyfriend.

When I got to the depot, they let me call Gramps and I told him what was going on and that I’m leaving to go be with Mom and Dad. He wished me well and said they’d miss me. He called the police to tell them what was going on and I had already called the police to tell them that I am not missing that I was running away from an abusive relationship with my ex-boyfriend.” You explain. “I was able to finish school from my hometown highschool via correspondence classes and was able to get my diploma. But we didn’t have a graduation party and I didn’t get to walk across the stage.” You say sadly.

Graham hugs you, “It’s okay, Harley, the important thing is that you did what you had to in order to survive and you got your diploma and can say you graduated from High School. Did you ever think about going to college?” he asked.

You shook your head. “I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up. I still don’t. All I ever wanted to be was a wife and a mother.” You say sadly. “Now, I don’t think that’ll ever happen.” You say sadly and rest your head against his shoulder.

Graham chuckles, “Honey, don’t ya think Rich’ll want to marry ya and make ya his wife?” he asks. You shrug. “I don’t know, Graham. It’s too early yet for me to tell if he’s serious about that. We haven’t known each other very long. It’s only been about a week!” you say quietly.

“Oh Honey!” Graham chuckles, “I think Rich is head over heels for you and will make sure he keeps you as his woman. He worships the ground you walk on! If he wasn’t fully invested in this relationship, Honey, he wouldn’t have stuck around through all this, ‘shit show’ as you put it.” he chuckles. “He absolutely adores you, Sweetheart. He was so afraid he had lost you when your ex shot you! His face was chalk white when we came out of Aiden’s apt and saw what had happened. He was cradling you in his arms, his face was white, and it was obvious he had shed quite a few tears, Sweetheart.” Graham informs you.

You sigh. “Really?” you ask. Graham nods.

“Graham, what am I going to do though? Todd needs me to help him with the coffeeshop. How am I going to make this work with Rich’s constant traveling for work?” you ask. “How are we supposed to make this work between him and I when we won’t be able to go on dates and see each other when he’s gone for months at a time? I have my own apt and he has his own place. I can’t be traveling all over the world with him and just give up a job I’m really enjoying and my new place, just to be his girl and his arm candy.” You sigh. “I’m not even that pretty. He could do SO much better than me. I don’t understand why he’s so head over heels for me.”

Graham sighs, “Oh Honey, you’re move than just Richard’s arm candy! I know ye struggle to see yourself as the gorgeous woman we see. But in time, ye will. Just give it time and don’t be afraid to talk with him. He will understand. You two just have to talk things out like adults and work out a solution. Ye both may have to compromise though on things. I know ye love this job and yer place, but ye may have to give up some hours and only work part time, if you’re going to travel with Rich. He will help ye with bills if you don’t make enough to pay for everything. He makes enough to keep you well provided for, but he is frugal with his money. Eventually he will want ye to live with him so there’s not twice the bills to pay each month, and since he wants ye to travel with him, don’t ye think it would make more sense to do it that way?” Graham points out. “He might have to cut back on the number of jobs he takes on if he wants to see you more. He was talkin’ bout doing more stage productions so he could stay here more.” Gram tells you.

You sigh. “I guess. It’s just that I’ve lived with someone or another for my entire life. I’ve never had a place that is just my own. Someplace I can go to do whatever I want, whenever I want, however I want.” You tell him. “If I move in with Rich, it’s still going to be his house. I’ll just be intruding on his space. I won’t have my own place to do things that I want to do.” You sigh and slump feeling defeated and tired.

Graham sighs and just rubs your back. “There’s no hurry, Sweetheart. You’ve been through hell. Rich knows this. Take whatever time ye need to get back on track with yer life. Just make an effort to keep him involved in it as much as ye can. He loves ye with everything he’s got. Scar says he looks at ye the same way yer Poppa looked at yerr Momma when they were alive.” He tells you.

You blush and giggle. “He does?” you ask. “Mmmmhmmm.” Graham replies. “Now I don’t know what look yer Poppa had on his face when he’d see yer Momma, but I have seen the look on Rich’s face when he sees ye and he worships the ground ye walk on, Lass. He would move Heaven and Earth if he could, just to make ye happy.” He says. “Rich will understand and will do his best to accommodate what ye want to do, but don’t forget to think about his needs and desires too, Sweetheart. Being in a healthy relationship is a two-way street. It’s no fun if only one party’s doing all the giving and the other’s doing all the taking. Ye both will have to learn to give and take a little. And ye both are stubborn as mules sometimes.” He suggests and gives you a knowing grin.

You grin back, knowing he’s right. “Thanks Pops.” You say and wrap your arms around him, giving him a hug. He grins and returns the hug. “Now, Sweetheart, how about some lunch? It seems like the rain is letting up and I should go see if my clothes are dry. I’d rather not have to stay here and eat hospital food if I can go get us something much tastier.” He says with a wink.

You let him go and he stands and goes to see if his clothes are dry yet.


	32. Chapter 32

You sigh and think about Richard and how you are slowly trusting him more and more. But are you ready to marry him and spend the rest of your life with him? You think back to the night the two of you cuddled on the couch and how he held you and caressed you. You enjoyed it and he seemed to as well. You felt safe with him. You think about how he made you feel as he made love to you for the first time and every time after that. You always felt incredibly loved, cherished and safe. He sought your pleasure before his own and reveled when you showed him similar affection.

You remember what he said when you told him you’d never be able to give him his own children, and about having to adopt if he wanted a family of his own. You sigh. He was _so_ understanding about it and didn’t even get upset! He held you and caressed your lower belly telling you he didn’t mind and that he’d be willing to adopt if you chose to keep him around and have a family with him. It still makes you ache, though, knowing you’ll never know what it’s like to have a baby grow inside of you and give birth to one. A few tears trickle down your cheek.

Your phone vibrates and you grab it to see who messaged you. Rich had sent you one, and you grinned and opened it.

_"Hi Love of my Life. Thank you for the messages this morning. Glad you liked the card and the rose bud. Saw it in the gift shop and had to get it for you._ _😊_ _I love you for SO many reasons, Sweetheart. Those were just a few. Maybe someday I’ll have all the words to tell you just what you mean to me. Right now, words fail me to be able to describe my love for you. But know it’s unfailing, and unconditional. There is nothing you could ever do or say that would make me stop loving you. I gotta get back to work now, take care of those two drowned rats for me! And know I’m thinking about you on this wet, dreary day. Hoping you have a good and relaxing day. Know that you are my sunshine on a cloudy day!_ _😉_ _see you tonight, Love. Xoxoxo Rich."_

Graham comes walking in the room with his now dry clothes and sees you looking at your phone with tears streaming down your face. He quickly plops the clothes on the chair and hurries over to you. “Harley, what’s the matter?” he asks as he sits on the bed next to you.

“Rich sent me this. I…I.. it…” you aren’t sure how to describe what you’re feeling. Graham puts an arm around you and pulls you over to his side. He takes the phone and reads the message. Grinning, he hands your phone back. “See? He’s head over heels for you Lassie. He’s a bit of a dork, but he loves you to the moon and back.” He says and kisses the top of your head. “Now, I gotta get dressed and get us some food. You think about where you want me to go for lunch while I get dressed and hopefully my cash has dried enough to be put back in my wallet.” He says.

You giggle and nod.

Graham stands and heads to the bathroom with his clothes. He changes into his dry ones and checks to see if the contents of his wallet have dried. They are still a little damp, he cringes at the thought of leaving them all laying in there, but doesn’t want to cram wet cash and cards into a still damp wallet. He pulls out his drivers’ license, car insurance card, credit cards and other necessary documents and shoves them in his front pocket. He uses one of the cards to pry open the wallet so it can dry out better and turns on the fan to help dry things up. He steps out of the bathroom and pulls the door almost shut so the contents of his wallet aren’t on display.

“Har, all my cash and wallet is still damp, so I’m gonna leave them in the bathroom to dry. Keep the door closed or almost closed so it’s not on display to those who come in here okay.” He tells you. “Okay Pops.” You say.

“Have you figured out what you want for lunch?” he asks as he comes over to you. You shrug. I have no idea what I want to eat.” You reply. Graham chuckles. "How about subs?” he asks. “Okay.” You reply. “What kind do you want and what toppings?” he asks. You look around and he hands you a notepad and pen from off the nurse’s stand by the computer. You write down what kinds of meats you like and veggie toppings, and that you usually use either one swipe of mayo or ranch dressing along with salt and pepper and parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese. You hand it to Graham and he reads it and nods. “Okay, I’ll be back in a bit.” He tells you.

You nod and lay back on the bed. He heads out and you lie there thinking about Rich and your future. “What do I want for my future, Phantom?” you ask him quietly. “What are we going to do when this shit show is all over? Graham said he’s going back to NZ, I suppose Aiden will go on and film something else somewhere else, and Rich will probably leave to go film for other movies or tv shows. I guess it’ll be back to me and Scarlett and now you.” You say realizing this happy little world you’ve had will soon come to an end as everyone goes their separate ways again. It makes you sad.

You hear a soft knock on the door and Phantom lets out a soft “Wuff”. You sigh, “Who is it?” you ask. The door opens a little and Amanda’s head pops in. “May I come in?” she asks. You grin and nod. She comes in and greets Phantom, then comes to sit by you. “How are you doing?” she asks. You sigh. “I don’t know. It’s been kind of an emotional rollercoaster for me today.” You reply. “Where’s Martin?” you ask.

She giggles. “He’s off doing his thing today. I got bored sitting at home and thought I’d come see how you were doing and thought we could hang out for a bit.” She said.

You grin and say, “Great! Maybe you can help me with this.” You tell her and show her the poll you created for everyone who comes to visit you today. She looks at the six dresses and says, “Ooooh, Harley, I don’t know which one to pick! They all look amazing!!! Which Premiere is it for?” she asks. You tell her that you think it’ll be for the Hong Kong one. She looks at the pictures again and she hums and says, “Oh, Harley I think either 2 or 5 would look wonderful on you for a movie premiere. The red one would be good for an awards show or the golden globes, something like that, same with the black one or the pretty blue one with the tuille. Save those for future big events.” She suggests. “But if you had to pick just one dress for the premiere, which one would you pick to wear?” you ask. She looks again and says, “I guess I’d pick 5. It would make me feel like a princess!” she giggles. “This is your first set of premieres, right?” she asks.

“Yup.” You reply. Amanda giggles, “Then just have fun with it. Rich calls you his princess, so dress for the part. Be his princess, let him show you off and let him gush about you. The next movie premiere or red carpet event he takes you to, then be his sexy woman.” She says giggling with glee.” You smirk. “I like how you think, Amanda! Did Scarlett tell you how horny Aiden got after our little Abba and Pretty Woman dances the other night?” you ask her. She shakes her head, “No, she didn’t, why?” she asks.

You giggle. “You didn’t hear this from me, but she said he was _super_ horny after that and fucked her the rest of the evening when they got home. She said they had sex all night long and she could hardly walk the next day he was so riled up.” You giggle. Amanda does too. “And what about you and Richard?” she asks with a mischievous grin.

You giggle, “Well, he took me and Graham home. Dropped Graham off first at his place, then brought me to Aiden’s where I’ve had my stuff and spent a few nights there in his spare room. Rich walked me up to the apartment, let us in and helped me out of my jacket and corset, helped me to my room, tucked me in bed and kissed me goodnight after setting my alarm on my phone. Then he headed home and made sure the door was locked when he left. Aiden and Scarlett came home later that night. I must’ve been out like a light, cuz I never heard them come home, nor did I hear them having sex.” You giggle.

Amanda grins. “So, you two haven’t hit the sack yet?” she asks. You shrug. “We’ve only been going out for a week, Amanda. And with all I’ve been through, I just want to take things slowly. He gets it and isn’t pushing me. He keeps asking me if it’s okay that he does certain things like kissing me, especially if it starts getting hot and heavy. We’ve had a few make out sessions and he is always careful not to push me farther than I’m willing to go. He checks in with me to make sure I’m feeling alright and that he isn’t moving too fast for me.” You say, deflecting the question.

She grins. “Well, I’m glad he is being considerate of your past and your feelings, Harley. He really is a great guy and loves you dearly. I can tell just by how he looks at you that you’ve captured his heart.” She says with a grin.

“I remember seeing you on the dance floor in your leather pants and corset and thinking “Who is that beautiful woman Richard is dancing with?” you have such a unique beauty, that just seems to radiate out from you, Harley. It can’t help but be noticed by both men and women, and seems to have drawn Rich in like a moth to a flame.” She giggles. “Not many women have a natural beauty about them that stems from who they are and not just their looks. You’re one of the rare ones that are blessed with both and Rich is so happy he gets to be the lucky guy to enjoy it and pamper you so it keeps shining brightly for the world to see what a lucky guy he is.” She compliments you.

You smile sadly. “I wish I could see me the way everyone else does.” You say quietly. “All I see when I look in the mirror is the broken and beaten woman hiding under the skin on my body.” You say. “I don’t know how to describe it any other way. I feel ugly and broken and empty, like trash tossed to the side of the road. I don’t see the beauty everyone else does. All I see are the bruises, scars, blood, broken bones and wounds that have littered my body for years. I don’t know how to look beyond it to see the beauty in me that everyone else does. Just like they don’t see the real me inside.” You say hanging your head.

Amanda is quiet for a moment, then she stands, and sits next to you and gives you a hug. “You will, Harley, one day, you will see it. It’ll just take time and lots and lots of love. Your life has left you feeling broken like glass from a stained glass window that has been shattered. It takes time to repair the beautiful image, and it takes patience and the person with the right kind of knowledge of how to put the pieces back together to remake the window and repair the image. One day it will be fully repaired, and it will be beautiful again and when that day comes, you’ll look in the mirror and will finally see it.” she tells you. “Just be patient and don’t give up on Richard or the rest of us, okay?” she tells you. “Even if we are halfway across the globe, you can still reach out to us with your phone and texts and video calls and we’ll do our best to help you however we can.” She tells you and gives you another hug.

You nod. “Thanks Amanda. I’m just feeling SO uncertain about the future. It seems like every time I dare to hope, it gets dashed and crumbled. I’m afraid to hope for this to end in a happy ending for me.” You tell her.

“I understand, Sweetheart. It’s okay to be scared, but just don’t let it take control of your life and paralyze you. You have all of these new friends, an amazing boyfriend who loves you more than anything, and from what I hear, a new family?!?” she states with a raised eyebrow.

You giggle and nod. “Yeah, Graham and Gwen asked to adopt me officially. I signed the papers yesterday.” You tell her. She grins, “That’s awesome! So what will you do for a name now?” she inquires. Will you keep your maiden name or will you take Graham’s?” She asks. You give her a bigger grin and laugh. “I’m actually hyphenating them. It’ll be Harley Raye Davidsen-McTavish”

Amanda stares at you for a moment until it registers what your maiden name is. “Your last name is Davidson? Like the Motorcycle?” she asks, surprised. You giggle again. “No, they spell it different my last name is spelled D.A.V.I.D.S.E.N. though the company did try to sue my parents over my name, but the company lost because the last name technically is spelled different from the company’s.” You giggle. “I have the news article about it back at Aiden’s place in my scrapbook Mom had made for me.

Amanda just laughs. “Oh, dear Harley, that is _hilarious_! Your parents seemed to have an amazing sense of humor!” she says. You nod. “They did.” You reply. “I miss them terribly. But Graham has done a great job filling in for Poppa” you say.

Phantom raises his head and looks at the door. He ‘Wuffs’ softly and gets up to go greet the person who knocks. “Come in!” you say and Graham appears at the door with two Subway sandwich bags and Scarlett in tow carrying hers.

“Hey, Sweetie!” Scarlett says. “How are you doing? Hi Amanda!” she says as she comes around the corner and sees Amanda sitting there.

“Well, Speak of the Devil and he appears!” Amanda says, chuckling. Graham looks up puzzled and raises an eyebrow. You smirk and tell him. “I was just telling Amanda about the adoption and how you and Gwen have been doing a wonderful job filling in for Mom and Pops.” You explain. He nods. “Ah. Here, Har, I got you some lunch.” He says with a grin and hands you your sandwich.

“I’ll head out, Harley. I just wanted to see how you were doing and hang out for a bit. If you get bored, give me a call and we can hang out some more.” She tells you. “Graham has my number.”

“Actually, I don’t now. My phone got wet and stopped working. I gotta get a new one now and hope I can get stuff transferred to the new one. I’ll have to go do that this afternoon now that it’s finally quit raining.” He informs her.

“Well then, here, Harley, give me your phone and I’ll put our phone numbers in it.” she says. You hand her your phone and she puts both hers and Martin’s phone numbers and address in the contacts on your phone, then hands it back to you. “There, now you have them.” She says. "You three have a good lunch and a good afternoon. I’ll see you all later.” She tells you all. Everyone waves bye and she heads out.


	33. Chapter 33

“Did ya have a nice chat with her, Lass?” Graham asks. You nod. “Yeah. We did. She liked the same dress you did, Graham. Oh, that reminds me, Scarlett, take a look at these and tell me which one you think I should pick for the premiere.” You tell her and show her the poll. She looks at the six dresses and hums as she pictures you in each one on Richard’s arm.

“Hmmm. Harley, you already have two slinky dresses and they are both black, so I think we can say no to #2 and #6 at least for this premiere. You have one poofy ball gown so I think we need another one to balance things out. #1 seems too plain for a movie premiere, that would be good for a nice, expensive night out with the two of you, maybe for a date or party. So that leaves, #3, #4 and #5. She says, thinking out loud. The dress Rich picked out has a lot of tuelle on it, so I think we should say no to #4, though it _is_ pretty. Maybe you can wear it for a different red carpet event. So that leaves #3 and #5. Both of which would work for you. I guess it depends on if you want to go sparkly or shiny bling.” She tells you. “Personally, I’d pick #3, but knowing you, I’m gonna say go with #5. She says, making Graham grin.

Just then you get a ping on your phone that you got an incoming email. Scarlett hands you your phone after you set down your sandwich and you see it is from Richard’s attorney.

She tells you that you did a great job with the hearing and the judge was very impressed with how you handled everything. She says he was visibly upset after the two of you got off of Skype and he looked back through the evidence that had been presented and made several notes for the next hearing. She tells you she suspects he will grant you a permanent restraining order, but we’ll have to see what your ex has to say for himself. She tells you to have Skype up and ready by 10:15am and he will call around 10:30am on Monday. She tells you to have a relaxing weekend and she will contact you after the hearing on Monday to tell you what the results are.

You show Graham and Scarlett the e-mail and they nod and smile. “Ye did a good job, Kiddo, despite how hard it was for you to have to relive all that. We’re proud of ye.” Graham reassures you. Scarlett is nodding.

The four of you hear a knock at the door and a young Doctor appears. Phantom growls and comes over by you. The male doctor freezes in the doorway when he sees the massive black dog growling. “Um, Hi. I’m Dr. Grantz. I’ll be tending to you this weekend while Dr. Ortiz is off.” He explains as he eyes Phantom.

Graham frowns, seeing Phantom react the way he is. “This is Phantom. He is Harley’s police trained bodyguard and service animal.” He explains. The doctor stays put. You call Phantom and he looks up at you. “Phantom, this is Dr. Grantz, he’s here to help me, he’s ok.” You tell him. Phantom looks back at the Doctor and goes over to him. The Doctor doesn’t move and stares at the dog. Phantom sniffs him and growls, backing up.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s gotten into him. I’ve never had him react to someone like this.” You tell the Doctor. He just nods slowly. “Phantom, come here.” Graham says, signaling the dog to ‘Come’. Phantom cautiously moves to Graham, but doesn’t take his eyes off of the Doctor and continues to growl . Graham grabs Phantom’s collar and holds it. “Come and do what ye need to do, Doc, but move slowly and don’t do anythin’ to provoke him.” He says, leery of the Doc.

The young Doctor slowly moves over to you and checks all your vitals and then asks if he can examine your wounds. You nod and shift so you’re sitting up. He takes a look at the wound on the top of the thigh and sees it is healing nicely. Graham sees how close the Doc has his hand close to your crotch and sees how uncomfortable you’re looking.

The Doc has you stand on your good leg and checks the exit wound on the back of your thigh and it too is healing well. Again, his hand is close to your crotch and his other just under your butt cheek. You’re feeling uncomfortable, but don’t say anything. He lets you sit back down. “The wounds are healing well. How is the pain for you?” he inquires. “Are the pain meds enough, or do you need something stronger?” he asks.

“They are working just fine.” You tell him. He nods. “Just take it easy and be careful when moving around so you don’t snag the stitches and the scabs on the bedding or fabric.” He reminds you. “If you find them snagging a lot, we can always bandage it up for you.” He tells you. “Continue to stay off of your feet as much as possible. If you do need to move about the room, use the crutches to do so. NO weight bearing on the leg though. If you behave, then by Monday, Dr. Ortiz has noted you may start to go for short walks using the crutches but not weight bearing on the leg for another week at least.” He informs you.

You nod and thank him. He tells you he will see you tomorrow, and if you need anything further, to let the nurses know. You thank him and he quickly leaves.

Once the door is shut, Graham lets Phantom’s collar go. Phantom goes and lays down right next to the door and growls whenever he hears the Doctor’s voice. “Hmmm,” Graham says rubbing his beard. “Phantom didn’t seem to like that Doc. He seemed to make you uncomfortable, Kiddo. You alright?” He murmurs. You shrug. “His hands were getting kinda close to my crotch and ass.” You reply.

“Honey, be careful with him. Phantom acts like this for a reason. Trust Phantom’s instincts.” Graham tells you. “I have to do some filming with Rich tomorrow, so I’ll see if someone from our cluster fuck of friends can stay with you since Phantom didn’t seem to like this Doc. I don’t want you left alone if he’s workin the unit this weekend. We don’t need him molesting you. Rich would have his head on a pike if he did that.” Graham says. “If he gets his hands too close to your crotch or ass tomorrow, ask him to please move them away from there as it’s making you uncomfortable. If he doesn’t, then you can threaten to sic Phantom on him. We can always report him as well.

“Ok, Pops.” You reply. Graham kisses the top of your head, “Now finish eating and we’ll figure out what to do for the afternoon.

Shortly after you three finish eating, Richard’s agent shows up and knocks at the door. Phantom pops up and wags his tail. Graham opens the door and lets her in. He introduces her to Phantom, who immediately likes her and is licking her hand and rubbing against her. Graham laughs. “Well he sure likes you!” he tells her, “He growled at the Doc who’s working this weekend! Didn’t seem to like this Doc who’s filling in for the normal one she has.” He explains.

She nods. “I brought him a treat, is it okay if I give it to him?” she asks you. You chuckle and nod. Rich’s agent pulls out a bone shaped cookie. “Here, Phantom. My friend makes these for my puppers and they love them. Thought you’d like one too.” She says and he gently takes the cookie from her and gives her a ‘woof” as a thank you. He takes it over to his bed and munches on it, leaving her to plot with you all.

“So, Graham tells me you wish to surprise Rich with a winery tour, but you don’t know when a good time would be to do so.” She says. You grin and nod. “Yes!!! I need your help to plot this surprise! He’s done _SO_ much to help me and I just want to show him how much I appreciate it. We haven’t been able to do a real official date yet and I wanted to make this special.” You explain. “I thought it might be fun to have him do a scavenger hunt and I’d be at the end of it waiting for him with lunch and wine to sample and we can do the tour together.

She grins. “He has the following two weeks off before the press junkets and promotional tours start, so I suggest doing it during that time.” She suggests. You show her the dates for the tours, and she contacts them to set up a private date with just the two of you. They agree to Wednesday in two weeks and tell her that they can start at noon with a light lunch and some wine sampling, then they will give you both a tour of the winery. She tells them that you will likely need a wheelchair as you are recovering from an injury to your leg. They tell her it’s not a problem and they look forward to seeing the two of you.

She gets off the phone with them and tells you what they said. You squeal with glee making everyone chuckle. “Now,” she says, “tell me about this scavenger hunt idea. And what are you going to wear for this? I’d suggest dressing up for it if you want to make it special.” She informs you.

Scarlet gets an idea, “Harley, what about you wearing Dress #1 from your poll?!? It’s just the right kind of dress for something like this!” she suggests. “But can I get it made in time?” you ask. Graham chuckles, “Here, Harley, let me borrow your phone.” You hand him the phone and he calls the designer after Rich’s agent looks up the phone number. The designer happily agrees to make it for you and tells Graham where to send your measurements to. He jots the e-mail address down and then thanks her for agreeing to do it on such short notice. “No problem, Graham. Have her come by next Monday for a fitting.” She says. He says he will make sure you’re there and thanks her again.

He hangs up and tells you that next Monday you will need to go for a fitting for it. He hands you the email address and tells you to send her your measurements right away. You giggle with glee at being able to do this for Rich and quickly send her the measurements.

You give Graham, Scarlett & Rich’s agent the idea for the scavenger hunt. Graham is giggling with glee at your cleverness. The Agent grins and tells you she will put it in his day planner as a game he is asked to participate in and says she will see if she can get the studio in on it and have them ask him to do it. She will make a note for him that he can contact her if he can’t figure out the clues and she will give him a hint. He has to find the last clue by the noon lunch date with a person interested in his future and career.

You giggle. “Oh, you _ARE_ sneaky!!!! I like you!!!” you tell her and giggle again. She grins. “I think we’ll have fun keeping Rich on his toes with you around!” she smiles. “You’re good for him. You get him to let loose and have a little fun. He seems a whole lot happier and relaxed since meeting you, Harley. He hasn’t stopped gushing about you since he met you!” she tells you with a wink.

You blush and smile. “I’m glad he is so happy.” You say. “Thank you SO much for helping with this! I had no idea how to make it happen and no way to contact you.” You tell her. She gives you her phone number and email, which you put in your phone. “Keep your card. If Rich finds it here, he might suspect we’re plotting something.” You tell her. She nods and tells you to keep in contact with her and let her know if you need anything.”

You ask her to take a look at your poll and tell you which dress she thinks you should wear for the Hong Kong Premiere. She looks at them and grins. “Oh! You’d look smashing in any of them, but I like #3. She tells you. The red color is a common color in the culture and would look wonderful on you. She says. You grin and thank her, marking it down in the poll.

She says her goodbyes and heads out.

You are giggling with glee and can’t quit grinning. Graham chuckles and tells you he needs to go get a new phone since the other one died but he’ll be back once he gets it taken care of. You and Scarlett nod and he heads out after giving you a kiss, grabbing the dead phone, and he gathers his now dry wallet, cash and other random contents he had drying in the bathroom.


	34. Chapter 34

“So, how are we going to plan out this scavenger hunt?” Scarlett asks. You think for a moment and then say, “Let’s work backwards and figure it out. He’ll end up at the Brotherhood Winery.” Scarlett grabs the note pad and draws a box at the bottom corner and writes “Brotherhood Winery” then draws a line to the left. “Ok, so where will he go to before that?”

You think for a moment, then call Mark and explain what you want to do and ask if he’d like to help. He tells you he’d love to. You tell him your idea and he happily agrees to do that. You thank him and tell him you’ll keep him updated and not to mention it to Rich since it’s a surprise. He says he won’t spill the beans. Then you thank him and hang up.

“Okay, so he’ll go to Mark’s Dog Training before the Winery. I think I’ll have Mark keep Phantom there for the afternoon and he can use Phantom to find the last clue, using the scent tracking. I’ll have it attached to my jacket and will hide the jacket in the field for Rich to find with Phantom.” Scarlett is giggling and excitedly writes it down.

“Okay and before that?” she asks.

“I’ll see if Ann is willing to be here at the hospital to give him the clue that will lead him to Mark’s and Phantom.” You tell Scarlett. She draws a line then writes ‘Ann @ Hospital’ and draws a box around it.

“Okay and before that?” Scarlett asks.

You think for a moment. “Scarlett, can you see if the gate guard will be willing to help us out with this and let us use him as a location for one of the clues?” you ask her. “Sure!!! I’m sure he’d be happy to help!” she giggles. She writes ‘Gate guard Gus’ on another box and connects it with a line to the hospital box.

“Okay, and before that?” she asks.

You giggle, ‘My new apartment. I’ll need you there to let him in and give him a hint if he can’t figure out where to look.” You giggle. She grins. “Well, then we’re going to have to get you moved in ASAP then!” she says. You nod. “Hoping for this week coming up now.” you tell her.

“Okay, so before your apartment, where will he be?” Scarlett asks.

You think for a moment, then say, Evermore Coffee & Books.” You call Alex and ask him if he and Todd will be willing to help you with a scavenger hunt for Rich to do as part of a date with you. Alex is visiting Todd and says they’ll be right down to discuss it. You hang up and a few minutes later they are coming in the door.

“Now, what’s this about a scavenger hunt?” Todd asks. You and Scarlett explain what you’re doing and they both grin. “OH! That sounds like a lot of fun!!!!” Alex says. “I’m game for it, how bout you, Big Bro?” Todd nods. “If I’m out of here, I’d be happy to do it. If I can’t and you need to use the shop location, have Graham be the contact person for there to let Rich in and give him the clue. Make him look for it in one of the nooks.” He suggests.

Scarlett makes note of it on the map and you make note of Todd’s suggestion. “Alex would you be willing to meet Rich at the Precinct where we met to give you the keys for my old place?” you ask. “You can give him the clue and my new Apartment door’s key there that will lead him to the coffee shop.” You ask. “Sure!” He replies with a grin. “I’d be happy to do that! What will he need your apartment door’s key for?” he asks

“To get one of the clues I’m gonna leave there for him.” You giggle.

You grin and giggle with glee. “Oh, this will be SO much fun!!!!!!” “So where all do you have him going to so far, Kiddo?” Todd asks. Scarlett writes in ‘Alex @ Police Station’ and puts a box around it, drawing a line from it to the coffee shop. She shows him and Alex the map so far. They look at it for a few minutes, figuring out how long it will take to get to and from each place. Well, that’s about two hours of driving around town, Sweetheart, how many other locations are you planning on using?” Alex asks.

You think for a minute, “Scarlett, add the Squawking Raven, since that’s where I met him and then add Rich’s place as the starting block. Can you check with the door guy and Lacey to see if they’ll help us out with the scavenger hunt? I’d like the three Abba songs we danced to and Pretty woman playing when he arrives and while he’s hunting for the clue. Have Lacey put it under the table top we sat at when you and I first got there and hung out with Rich and Aiden at while we drank.” You tell her. “He’ll have to search for it. If he can’t find it, his clue will be: “Search where Graham introduced you to Harley.”

“Harley, how are you going to begin the scavenger hunt? How will you introduce it to him?” Todd asks.

“I think I’ll stay the night at his place the night before and get up really early and hide the first clue on his pillow and the second on his bathroom mirror, written on the mirror in steam so he sees it when he steps out of the shower in the morning.” You giggle. “Then I’ll have it lead him to the thermostat in the hallway by the garage door, and then out to his car’s glove box. That will lead him to the Squawking Raven and the hunt goes from there.” You explain.

Scarlett grins and Alex and Todd chuckle. “How are you going to get away before he wakes up, Sweetheart?” Todd asks.

You think, “I suppose I’ll hopefully be able to sneak out without waking him up. I’ll need a ride to my place, where I can get ready and head out to the winery. I’ll spend the morning there getting to know the owners and hanging out until he arrives. I’ll have the contacts at each location text me when he arrives and leaves. So I can track his progress. He has till noon to find me there so we can have lunch, sample wines and tour the winery.” You explain.

Alex chuckles, “Aaaahhh, I was wondering if you were going to give him a deadline to have it completed by.” He says with a grin.

So how many hints is he allowed?” he asks. You frown. “I haven’t come up with the clues yet, so I’m not too sure.” You say.

“How about we help you with those, then we can figure out how many hints he gets.” Todd says with a chuckle.

“Okay.” You reply.

The four of you spend the afternoon putting your heads together coming up with clues for Rich and some locations, you have him search for additional clues to slow him down a bit.

“Hey, we can have Aiden and Graham go through the clues now that we have them all figured out to see if Rich might have any troubles.” Scarlett suggests.

Just then Nurse Ann comes in to see how you’re doing. You tell her about the scavenger hunt you’re coming up with for Richard and you ask her if she would be willing to be here to give him the clue for the hunt. She grins and nods. “If I’m not scheduled to work, I’ll come in and hang out till I can give it to him when he arrives.” She tells you. You squeal and thank her profusely.

You ask her, Todd and Alex to do the poll you’re having all visitors do and they each pick a dress. Ann likes dress #4, Todd likes dress #5 and Alex likes dress #2.

You thank them for their help and for doing the poll. Alex looks at the time and says they gotta head back up to Todd’s room. “See ya later Kiddo.” Todd tells you. “Bye Todd. Get some rest!” you tell him. “You too Sunshine.” He says and Alex wheels him out the door.


	35. Chapter 35

You and Scarlett are giggling when Graham comes in with Aiden. “Hey!!!!” you say greeting them. “Aiden, is Rich still filming?” you ask. “I’ve only heard from him once today.” You tell him.

“Yeah, they’ve been going non-stop almost, trying to get as much filmed as possible. He said it’ll be another late night for him, and he said to tell you to not wait up for him.”

You pout a little but then realize it gives you more time to work on the scavenger hunt. “Ok, did Graham fill you in on the Scavenger hunt date I’m planning for Rich?” you ask.

Aiden shakes his head ‘no’. You and Scarlett explain to him the idea and tell them both that it’s a surprise, so don’t say anything to him about it. You ask if you can give the two of them the clues to see if they can figure out where the locations will be at so you can figure out how many hints he may end up needing.

They both agree and you explain that it will start at Rich’s place and you’ll leave the first note on the pillow on his bed for him to find when he wakes up. You tell them you’re going to set his alarm for 7:00am.

You read the first clue: “Our day of Romance has just begun. It’s time now to have some fun. You’ll have till noon, to find all the clues. So get up and let’s see how you do.

Go to the place

That reflects your face

And there you’ll need steam to find clue #1.”

You pause and let them muddle it over.

Aiden finally gets it, “The bathroom mirror after a shower!”

You nod. “Okay, here’s the clue he’ll find there. If this works like I hope it does… ‘It’s time now to get dressed up, my Sleuth, and I’ve turned up the heat, your search is yet incomplete. Go claim a prize, where the temperatures rise, to continue this scavenger hunt.’ ”

You pause again and let them muddle it over.

“The furnace?” Aiden guesses. “Nope, but close.”

Graham grins, “The thermostat.” He says.

You grin and nod. “Okay, here’s the clue he’ll find there: ‘I’ve cancelled plans and set time apart. Will even give you a little head start. In your glove box is placed, a small foretaste, a delicious piece of my heart. It’s mate is a clue that will let you to continue, a little later on in the hunt.”

You pause and grin.

Graham and Aiden are baffled and can’t figure out what it’ll be. “It’s obviously hidden in the glove box, but what is it?” Aiden finally asks. You lean over to Scarlett and ask her to give you the bag of your clean clothes. She grins and gets up to go grab it. She comes back with it and hands it to you. You dig around till you find the tiny black lace panties and matching bra. You smirk. “Do you _really_ want to know, Aiden?” you tease.

Aiden nods. “UH, DUH!!!” he teases back. You pull out the tiny lace panties and Graham roars laughing! “I suppose you have the matching bra for that that you’ll give him with a clue attached at some point!” he inquires. You grin and nod.

Scarlet chuckles. “Okay, so that’s one hint down then!” she says, keeping track on her fingers.

You put the undergarments back in the bag and hand it to Scarlett. She returns it to the closet and sits back down again.

“When he looks in the glove box of his car, he’ll find this next clue with the panties: ‘Remember our song and first dance? If you search, you’ll find by chance, the sweet serenade, where music is played, that set us on this path of Romance.’”

You pause and let them think. “That’s easy, it’s the Squawking Raven!” Aiden says.

You grin mischievously, “Yes, but WHERE in the Squawking Raven will the clue be found. Where would he look?” you tease.

“The loft?” Graham asks. You shake your head. “The dance floor?” Aiden asks. Again you shake your head.

They are both stumped. “Hint?” Graham asks.

“Search where Graham introduced you to Harley.” You reply.

They both think for a moment then Graham grins. “The table where you were standing eating the ice!” he says with a mischievous grin. You nod. “It’ll be taped under the table.” You tell him.

“So, what will that clue say then?” Aiden asks.

“Oh Handsome detective, the clue that you seek in search of the prize will be found as KEY evidence with the boy in blue…don’t be alarmed, Look for the Red and the Blue, he’s there to help, badge in hand, he’s got a key and your next mystery clue!” you say with a grin.

They both think for a few moments. Aiden grins, “It’s Alex! He’s a cop!” you grin and nod. “Are these too easy or are they just hard enough?” You ask.

Both Graham and Aiden say they’re just fine. You go through the rest of the clues and decide to give Rich 4 hints. “I don’t want it to be toooo hard for him. The bookstore and the Raven should take him a while to find the clues, though.” You explain. They nod. “He’ll have fun, Harley. It’s so cool that you’re doing this for him. It’ll mean a lot to him.” Aiden tells you.

You blush and grin. “I hope so.”

“Scarlett, do you still have my calligraphy quill and inks set and sealing wax set with the “D” on it?” You ask. She nods. “Yup. Want me to bring it up tomorrow?” she asks. You nod. “I’ll need some stiff paper too. Maybe some home-made stuff that won’t let the ink bleed through or maybe the heavier paper for pen and ink drawing.” You suggest.

“Okay. I’ll pick some up on my way in. What color ink do you want? You have several.” You think for a moment. “Bring the burgundy and the blue and the gold. Can you get me a gold sharpie too for the wax seal?” she nods. “Don’t forget the quill cleaner also.” You remind her. “Okay. That should be everything I’ll need to do the clues.” You tell her giggling.

You look up at the clock when Phantom gets up and grabs the leash from the door and walks up to Aiden whining. “You gotta go outside, boy?” he asks. “WOOF” Phantom says emphatically. Everyone laughs and Aiden hooks the leash on, and you hand him the jacket for the dog. Aiden puts it on him, and they head outside.

Graham asks you if the girls have replied to your email yet. You pull it up on the computer and see they did. You open it and they all voted for dress number 5. You roll your eyes. There’s a note under the voting asking why Graham’s not answering his phone. And asking you to have him call Gwen when he gets the chance.

“Graham, you’re supposed to call Gwen. Apparently your phone wasn’t working when she tried to call you.” You tell him.

He grabs the new phone and calls her, grateful the guys at the phone place were able to dry out the old one and get it to work long enough to transfer everything over and he didn’t lose anything.

Gwen answers and he apologizes for missing the call. He explains what happened and you can hear her laughter on the other end of the phone. She tells him the girls want the same dress that you get, just in different colors, if it’s okay with you. He tells her to hang on a minute and puts it on speakerphone. “Okay, Gwen, ask Harley what you asked me.” He tells her.

“HI MOM!!!” you call out and she laughs, “Hi Sweetie! The girls are wondering if they can have the same dress as their big Sis only in different colors so you are all matching but not.” She says.

“Whatever they mean by that.” She adds.

You and Scarlett giggle, “I get what they mean Ma.” You tell her. “I’m fine with that, what colors do they want their dresses to be?” you ask. You hear both girls squeal, “YAY!!!!!” “Pink and Purple!” Honor says excitedly, “Green and purple!” Hope says.

You laugh and look at Graham. “Well, Pops, what do you have to say about this? You’re the one paying for four gowns and whatever you’re wearing!” you tease him. “Oh dear Lord! I’m gonna be working till I die to pay for all these gowns!” he teases!” Hope and Honor squeal, “NOOOOOOO! You can’t work so much Poppa! We miss you!!!!” they cry out. He and Gwen just laugh. “I’ll have the designer make three of that style gown. One for each of their chosen colors. Hope, do you want the purple dress with green sparkle, or green dress with purple sparkle?” Graham asks.

“Ummm. Green dress, purple sparkle.” She says.

“Okay, Honor, do you want a pink dress with purple sparkle or a purple dress with pink sparkle?” he asks.

“Purple dress with pink sparkles, Poppa!” she says. “And Harley gets the pretty blue dress with the teal sparkles!” she says emphatically!

You laugh and say, “Okay, it seems to be the winner thus far anyway.” You relent.

“YAYYYYYY!!!” you hear the girls squealing in the background and Gwen laughing. “Girls go celebrate in the family room so I can talk with your Poppa and Harley!” she tells them. “Okay, Momma.” They reply and you hear them walking away.

Gwen laughs. “So how is everyone doing there?” she asks. Graham chuckles. “Well Phantom and I were drowned rats this morning, but now that we’ve dried out, we’re doing much better, though he looks like a black sheep now, his fur is so poofy!” he laughs.

“Harley, how are you doing?” Gwen asks. “I’m doing alright, Ma. It’s been kind of an emotional roller coaster today for me, but I’m hanging in there. Rich is working like a busy beaver trying to finish up filming so they can be done by Monday night. Graham will be joining him tomorrow.” You tell her. “My leg is healing, it’s gonna be slow going for a while. Might be on crutches for the first couple red carpets though.” You sigh, bummed. “I had hoped to not need them, but the Doc says I’ll be on them for a few weeks yet. He doesn’t want me weight bearing till it’s fully healed.” You explain. “I was lucky it missed both the main artery and my thigh bone.” So it’s ‘merely a flesh wound!’” you say, mimicking the character from Monty Python.

Graham and Gwen both laugh, and Gwen says, “Ah ha! Another one who likes Monty Python! She fits in the family perfectly!” You giggle, “Scarlett loves Monty Python too, Ma! She quotes it as well as I do!” you tell her. “Ah!!! Perfect!” she says giggling.

“I got the flight tickets and itinerary, Grahammy, so we’re all set. Just need to pack and head out in a few days! The girls are SO excited!!! And I picked up that item you asked me to get too!” she said. Graham looked puzzled for a moment, then remembered what she was hinting at. “Oh! Good! Here, let me get you off speaker phone and we can talk some more.” He says. “Bye Sweetheart, see you in a few days!” you hear her say before Graham switches it off speakerphone. He heads out into the hallway and finishes the conversation with Gwen.

You sigh happily and reach over to the card Rich left for you this morning. You re-read it and smile. “What’s that, Har?” Scarlett asks when she sees you grab the card. You hand it to her when you finish reading it.

Her eyes are watery, and she looks up at you, “Awwww! It’s so romantic!” she says. “He left it on my pillow with a red rose bud taped to the envelope this morning. He had to be up at work at the pre-buttcrack of dawn, so he left it for me to find.” You tell her. “He sent me this too, after I sent him a text thanking him for the card.” You tell her and show her the text he sent that made you cry. It made Scarlett cry too. “Oh, Harley, he’s so good to you! I’m gonna have to tease Aiden that Rich is whooping his ass in the Romance department!” she teases.

You chuckle and re-read his text again. You send him one saying, “ _Hi Love! Thought about you all day today. Hope filming is going well. Aiden said you all have been busy beavers scrambling to finish filming. Miss you. All my Love, Hugs and kisses, Your Harley.”_ You hit send and set your phone down just as Aiden came back in with Phantom.


	36. Chapter 36

You yawned as Aiden came into the room. He looked up at the clock and frowned. “Tired already, Harley?” he asks. You nod. “I didn’t get a nap today.” You explain. He nods. “Well, it’s almost suppertime, do you want us to go pick you up something?” he asks.

“Sure. Wait and see if Graham wants anything.” You tell him. Scar knows what I’ll eat. Go ahead and get what you want and pick me up something on your way back. We can eat here. I’ll nap while you’re gone.” You tell them.

They nod and wait for Graham to return. He tells them what he wants and they head out. You yawn again. “Hey, Pops, I’m gonna take a nap for a while till they come back with supper. I didn’t get a nap in today and I’m exhausted.” You tell him.

He chuckles. “Okay, Sweetheart. I’ll sit here and brush Phantom so we can get his fur looking back to normal.” He says.

You nod and curl up and go to sleep.

Graham chuckles and brushes Phantom and then sits and reads his book. Phantom goes and lies down right in front of the door, growling whenever he hears the Doctor from this afternoon. Graham frowns when he hears the dog doing that. He texts Mark letting him know what’s going on and what Phantom is doing. Mark calls back and they talk quietly.

Graham mentions that the paperwork got wet cuz they forgot to put it in a zipper bag and Mark chuckles. “I’ll bring new ones up tomorrow, Graham. No worries there. It concerns me though, that he’s growling at the Doctor. Just keep an eye on it. Phantom doesn’t like him for a reason. And if the Doc is getting frisky with his patients, he needs to be reported to the medical board and the head of the hospital. Don’t leave her alone with that doctor being on duty.” He warns Graham. “Make sure Harley understands she does not have to keep him as a doctor if he is making her uncomfortable, she _can_ request a different one treat her for the weekend.” Graham tells Mark that he has already informed her of that.”

They talk a bit more, then hang up.

Nurse Ann knocks on the door and Phantom stands up and gives her a soft “woof” he backs up and lets her in the room and she greets him and asks Graham if they’d like some supper. He tells her that Aiden and Scarlett went to pick up something for you and him. He asks her about this other Doctor that is working the weekend. He tells her what he noticed about how the Doc’s hands were unnecessarily close to your crotch and ass when he was examining the bullet wounds. The other Doc doesn’t do that, why is this creep doing it?” he asks.

She comes over and quietly says, “You didn’t hear this from me, but rumor has it Dr.Grantz was fired from another hospital for assaulting patients. They were never able to prove it though, so his license couldn’t be revoked and he couldn’t be deemed un-hireable by HR, and the cops couldn’t do anything. He just started this last week. If Harley feels uncomfortable with him touching her and Phantom is growling at him, then I’d recommend requesting a different doctor treat her for the weekend.” She suggests.

Graham nods. Would you get the charge nurse in here when Harley wakes up? I want to talk with them both. I don’t feel comfortable with him treating Harley. She’s been through enough already, she doesn’t need sexual assault from him on top of everything else. I want it understood that if he tries ANYTHING with her, that Phantom WILL be told to attack, and he doesn’t stop until one of us orders him to. He’s already had to attack her ex to protect her, and the guy ended up with a badly mangled arm because of it!” he warns.

Ann nods. “I agree, Graham. I will have the charge nurse come in when Harley wakes up. Do you want her to wait till you all finish eating?” Graham nods. “Thanks, Ann.” He says. “Any time, Graham. Harley is a friend, and I don’t want her getting hurt any more than she already is.” She says. “Let me know when you want us to come in.” she says and heads out.

You sleep for another half hour, then Aiden and Scarlett return with more Chinese food and fortune cookies.

The smell of beef and broccoli wakes you as Scarlett moves a plate of it in front of your face. You open your eyes and your belly growls. Graham and Aiden laugh at the sight of Scarlett’s antics. “Food’s here, Sunshine, time to wake up.” Graham tells you. You yawn and move the bed so you’re sitting. Scarlett hands you the plate and chopsticks. Aiden tosses three fortune cookies at you and they land in your lap. “We each get three.” He says.

You giggle. “And two of yours will say, “no fortune for you!” then you giggle. Aiden rolls his eyes and digs into his food. Graham is unusually quiet and you can’t figure out why. He looks worried and keeps glancing down at Phantom when the dog growls. “Has Phantom been sitting by the door all day?” you ask.

Graham nods. “He’s been growling whenever he hears that damn Doctor’s voice.” He growls. “You mean the younger one that came in this afternoon right after lunch?” you ask. He nods. "Dr. Grantz. Honey, I’d feel a whole lot better if you’d request a different Doc to treat you. I don’t trust this young one for some reason. His fingers were just too frisky for my taste and I don’t want ya getting assaulted by him. Phantom doesn’t like him and with how much he’s been growling today, I don’t think it’s a good idea to let this Doc in your room.” Graham says. You nod. “I don’t like how he made me feel. The way he touched me and looked at me made my skin crawl.” You say and shudder. “But how do I request a different Doctor? My regular one is not working this weekend.” You say.

“We’ll ask the charge nurse after supper. When we’re done eating, I’ll take the leftovers to the nurses’ station and have her come talk with us.” Graham says.

“Okay, Pops.” You tell him.

Once everyone is done, Aiden and Graham take the leftovers to the nurses’ station. He talks to the charge nurse and she comes in and asks you if you’d like a different Doctor. “I understand Dr. Grantz makes you feel uncomfortable?” she says. You nod. “He creeps me out and my dog REALLY doesn’t like him. He’s been guarding the door all day and growls whenever he even hears the doctor’s voice in the hallway.” You tell her. She looks surprised and glances down at Phantom, who is looking at the door and growls when he hears the Doc’s voice.

The charge nurse nods. “I’ll make a note of it in the File and on the roster and will inform him he is not to enter your room, that another doctor has been requested to treat you instead.” She tells you. “Thank you.” You tell her.

She nods and heads out to make the arrangements.

A half hour later a knock is heard, and the charge nurse enters with a different doctor. “Hello, I’m Dr. Runsvold. I understand you’re being treated by Dr. Ortiz for a gunshot wound to the thigh?” he says. You nod. “This is my Police trained, guard dog. His name is Phantom. If you hold your hand out and let him sniff you, I’d appreciate it. That way he can decide if you’re alright or not.” You say.

Graham calls Phantom over from the door and introduces Dr. Runsvold to the dog. Phantom looks at the doctor for a minute, cocks his head and then sniffs the Doctor’s hand. He licks it and nuzzles it. “He says you’re okay and can pet him if you like.” You tell the Doc.

He chuckles and pets Phantom. “Nice to meet you Phantom. Have you been protecting Miss Harley really well?” he asks. “Wuff” the dog replies, then his head turns to the door when he hears the other doctor and he growls a loud growl and heads back to the door, blocking it from opening.

“I see what you mean by he doesn’t like the new Doctor. I’m not so sure of him either, to be honest. There’s some nasty rumors attached to his reputation, and I do not think he will last long here.” He says, “but you didn’t hear that from me.” He warns. “Well, I just wanted to introduce myself to you tonight, I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon to see how you’re doing, Miss Harley. If you need anything, just let these lovely nurses know and I’ll be in touch with you and with Dr. Ortiz.” He says. “Have a good night.” And then pets Phantom. “Can I get out, boy?” he asks the dog. Phantom gets up and lets him out along with the charge nurse, then plops back in front of the door.

You and Graham both shake your heads. “He’s not going to leave that door till the Doc is no longer around.” You comment. Graham nods. “Try to get some sleep, Harley.” Graham says as he sits in the recliner and reclines it back to try to get some sleep too. You toss him a pillow and a blanket, which he catches. You both curl up and fall asleep.


	37. Chapter 37

It’s late and Richard is exhausted but happy. They got all the scenes filmed today that the director had planned to do. He calls an Uber and gets a ride to a restaurant where he gets supper to go and then takes the Uber to the hospital. He thanks the driver for toting him around then goes to eat his food in the Cafeteria after purchasing something to drink from them.

Once he finishes eating, he heads up to your room. The charge nurse sees him coming and tells him to be careful when he opens the door. “The dog has been laying against it all day, he doesn’t like the young doctor who’s on duty this weekend.” She explains.

Rich thanks her and knocks quietly. “Phantom, it’s me, move away from the door and let me in.” he says quietly. “Wuff” he hears and the door is able to be opened. “Hey buddy, you guarding the door from the nasty Doctor?” he asks. Phantom just whines quietly. “Good boy!” Rich tells him quietly.

He stands and sees Graham passed out in the recliner. He decides to let Graham sleep and quietly grabs his sweatpants and shirt and heads for the bathroom. He changes into them and then quietly climbs up into bed with you and snuggles against you. You stir and mumble. “Hi Sweetheart.” And fall asleep again, making Rich chuckle. He lays on his back and you turn to cuddle against him in your sleep and he holds you close. “I love you Sweetheart. One more day of these 16 hour filming days, then one regular one, then we’re done!” he says quietly. He kisses the top of your head and falls asleep, his phone’s alarm set to go off in seven hours.

Both Richard and Graham groan when Richard’s alarm goes off in his coat pocket. “Morning.” Graham grumbles, “How come ya didn’t wake me up when ya got in?” he asks quietly as Rich tries to slip out from under your cuddles. You whimper as he does so, but you don’t wake up. He tip toes to his jacket and shuts off the alarm. “You were in a deep sleep and I figured we both were going to need all the sleep we can get for another 16 hour day of filming.” He explained.

Graham stretches and yawns. “I’ll wash up out here, you can use the loo. We’ll switch when you’re done.” He suggests. Rich nods and they get freshened up and ready to go. Graham chuckles when he sees Rich leave you a card on your pillow and kisses your forehead and tucks the blanket around you again. He signals Phantom to ‘guard’ and they head out.

Graham is nervous leaving you with only Phantom, but he doesn’t want to say anything to Rich. The last thing he needs right now is to be distracted and worrying about your safety.

They make it to the makeup trailers and have breakfast while the artists do their thing.

**********

Meanwhile, you’re sound asleep. Phantom hears the new Doctor making his rounds and Phantom gets up and goes and lays down against the door. When he feels someone push on the door, he lets out a growl in warning. The nurses quickly realized he had been laying in front of the door yesterday and realized if they knocked quietly and announced who they were, that he’d let them in. When no one knocked, he refused to budge and the door wouldn’t open.

He heard someone cussing and felt the door being pushed on again. Phantom growled louder in warning. He heard a nurse ask the Doctor what he was doing trying to get into that room. He said he was just doing his rounds and the dumb dog won’t let him in. She replies, “That’s because you are not supposed to be going into that room. She requested a different Doctor to treat her since the dog didn’t seem to like you. Now I suggest you continue on and finish your rounds.” Phantom hears the doctor move to the next room and the nurse knocks softly on the door. “Phantom, it’s me, Nurse Ann.” She says. He stands and gives a soft “wuff” and lets her in. She enters the room and closes the door. “Good boy!!!” she tells him and gives him a treat from her pocket. “You keep that nasty doctor away from her!” she tells him. She checks on you and sees that you are still asleep, and that Graham and Richard are gone. “They left you to keep her safe, huh?” she asks Phantom quietly. “Wuff” he replies and nuzzles her hand. “You keep laying by that door, boy. Don’t let anyone in that shouldn’t be coming in.” she tells him. “Now I gotta go and see to other patients.” She tells him and heads out.

Phantom lays down against the door again and goes to sleep. Growling whenever he hears the Doctor’s voice.

**********

You wake up alone in your room. “Phantom?” You say. “Wuff” you hear from the door.

Shaking your head, you look to the side of your bed. There a red envelope lays with a heart shaped necklace taped to it. You grin and take the necklace off the envelope and put it on.

Opening the red envelope, you find a pair of tickets to a theater production occurring on the following Friday evening. You grin and open the card they are nestled in the envelope with. You read the card which looks like it’s homemade. You wonder if it is Rich’s handwriting. It has one of the pictures of you he took glued on the front of the card and it says on the outside of the card below your photo:

_“If I had to live my life again,_

_I would find you sooner,_

_So I could love you longer._

_For you are BRAVER than you believe,_

_STRONGER than you seem,_

_SMARTER than you think,_

_And LOVED more than you know!”_

And when you open it you see another picture of you sound asleep in the hospital bed with these words to the right of the photo:

_“If I could give you one thing in life…_

_I would give you the ability to see yourself THROUGH MY EYES._

_Only then would you realize how beautiful and special you are to me!_

_You are my SUNSHINE AND MY EVERYTHING!_

_You’ve stolen my heart, and I’m happy to let you keep it,_

_Because I Love you for all eternity._

_Xoxo, Richard”_

You read the card, cry, and read it four more times and cry each time. You haven’t felt this loved since your parents died. Rich is wonderful and you realize how much you love him & miss him terribly. And just want to be held by him. Setting the card next to the other one he left you yesterday morning, you decide to text him.

Picking up your phone, you text: “ _Darn you Rich, I just woke up and you made me cry!!! Thank you for the wonderful card. I’ve read it four times already and I’ve cried as many times as I’ve read it. You’re making Scarlett jealous and getting Aiden in trouble, giving me these wonderful, romantic, sappy cards. Lol! I love them! I miss you already. I miss feeling your arms around me, and I miss waking up to you beside me (or under me) lol! And I definitely miss you inside me! Can’t wait till I’m out of this hospital and in my own place where we can do what we want, and you can hold me close. Good luck with filming today. I hope you get done everything you need to. See you when you’re done tonight. All my love, hugs and kisses, your Harley.”_

You read it through then hit ‘send’. Since it’s early still, you decide to go back to sleep. You grab the pillow Rich used last night, which faintly smelled like him, and you cuddled it and went back to sleep.

**********

Rich hears his phone beep as they’re walking to set. He opens the message from you and grins when he reads it. God, he loves you. He closes the app and shuts off the sounds. He hands it to his assistant then he and Graham get ready to start filming. It’s a series of intense action scenes and by lunch they both are exhausted. “Holy shit! Did he really have to save all the action sequences for one frickin’ day?!” Graham bemoans. “Fuck!”

Rich just chuckles. “What, getting tired, old man?” he teases with a wink. “Ah, shut it, Rich, I know you’re just as tired as I am!” he teases back. “Heard from Harley at all?” he asks.

Rich nodded. "She sent me a text when we were coming to the set. She thanked me for the card and said I was getting Aiden in trouble in the romance department and that I was making Scarlett a little jealous.” Rich tells Graham. They both laugh. “Well, Aiden has his own ways of doing things.” Graham chuckles. “Did she say how Phantom was doing?”

Rich shakes his head. “Nope. Just said she hoped we have a good day of filming and can get everything done that we need to today.” He replies. “I had better send her a note letting her know we’re on lunch and see how she’s doing.”

Just then, Graham’s assistant comes up to him. “Sir, you have a couple messages on your phone. Did you want to check them since you had a few moments?” she asked. He nods and takes the phone from her. Graham opens the message app and finds a message from a number he doesn’t recognize and one from Gwen. The one from Gwen just says they are all ready to head out and will be leaving in the morning. ‘ _We can’t wait to see you Grahammy and can’t wait to see Harley and Phantom and Rich in person_. _Love you Sweetheart, see you soon!”_ Graham grins at this message, then he reads the one from the number he doesn’t recognize and frowns.

It says. _“Hi, Graham, it’s Ann from the hospital. I got your number from Harley’s file since you were listed as one of her emergency contacts. Just wanted to let you know that Phantom is keeping her safe. The young Doc tried to get into her room after you left early this morning when she was still sleeping, but Phantom wouldn’t let him into the room. When I found him trying to get into her room, I reminded him he was not supposed to be tending her since she had requested the other Doctor, and the young Doc knew that. I shooed him to finish his rounds and leave. Don’t worry, Phantom is doing a great job. We’ll keep an eye on her, so no worries. If you have any questions, feel free to message me at this number. Have a good day!”_

Graham sighs. Rich looks over. “You alright, Graham?” Rich asks. “Just worried, Rich.” “About what?” Rich asks. Graham frowns. “The young Doc working this weekend, the one Phantom doesn’t like, tried getting into Harley’s room this morning after he was informed last night that he was not to be tending to her since she requested a different Doctor tend her. Nurse Ann just messaged me to tell me that and said not to worry, that Phantom was doing his job and wouldn’t let the Doc into the room.” He explains.

“What’s the issue with this younger Doctor that they don’t want him to treat her?” Rich asks.

Graham swallows hard. “Some of the staff say he was fired from a prior hospital for assaulting his patients, but there wasn’t enough evidence for the police to do anything and not enough evidence for him to lose his license. When he came to examine Harley yesterday afternoon, Phantom growled at him and didn’t want him anywhere near Harley. I had to hang onto Phantom’s collar to make sure he wouldn’t attack the Doc. I warned the Doc to move slowly and not to do anything to provoke the dog.

The Doc was clearly afraid of Phantom and I watched him closely. He seemed professional till I noticed where his hands were as he examined Harley’s wounds. I could see she was very uncomfortable, but she didn’t say anything. His hands were close to her crotch and just under her ass. The normal Doc she has treating her was always careful NOT to put his hands near those areas so after he left, Harley and I talked about it and how he made her feel. She didn’t like him and said he made her uncomfortable and so we requested a different Doc treat her for the weekend. I heard the Charge Nurse tell this young Doc that and it pisses me off he tried to get in her room anyway after we left this morning. I’m glad we got her Phantom and that he is so good about protecting her. He laid in front of that door all day yesterday and would only get up if he needed to go outside or if someone knocked and announced themselves who he deemed alright to enter. Whenever he heard that young Doc’s voice, he’d growl.” Graham tells Rich.

Rich looks pissed when he hears Graham tell him about this new Doc. He grabs his phone and calls the Hospital and asks to talk to the head of the hospital. He explains who he is and that you are his girlfriend. He tells the head why you are in the hospital and what he has learned about the young Doctor working your unit for the weekend. He explains how this Doctor was feeling you up near your crotch and ass and how uncomfortable it made you feel. He tells the head that this young Doctor was told by the Charge Nurse, after you had requested a different Doctor, that he was not to treat you and then early this morning one of the nurses caught him trying to get into your room. Had it not been for your police trained bodyguard dog laying against the door and not letting him in, this Doc would’ve gotten into your room and assaulted you. He explains that there is talk of this doctor assaulting other patients he has cared for in the past. Rich tells the head of this hospital that either they remove this Doctor from their hospital or he will remove you from the hospital and have another one care for you where you won’t be assaulted by the hospital staff.

The head of the hospital apologized profusely for this and tells you he will look into the matter and if it is found that this Doctor was informed the night prior that he was not to treat you and tried to enter your room anyway, that he would be immediately fired. Rich tells him your adoptive Father heard the Charge Nurse tell the young Doctor last night that he was not to treat her and Nurse Ann was the one who caught him trying to get into your room this morning. Rich tells the hospital’s head to contact him when he makes his decision and to leave a message with his assistant if he is unavailable to take the call. The head of the hospital says he will do so and again apologizes to Rich. They hang up and Rich sighs. “Fuck, why does everyone seem to want to get in Harley’s pants? Why can’t they just respect her as a person and treat her like a woman instead of something to fuck?”

Graham puts his hand on Rich’s shoulder. “Because that’s how the world today sees beautiful women, as something to fuck and use for their own selfish desires. Rich, I think we seriously need to get her into some Krav Maga classes once her leg is fully healed. I think it’ll help boost her confidence and give us both some peace of mind that between the training and Phantom, she should be able to defend herself and be safe from creeps like this.” He suggests.

Rich nods. He asks his assistant to do some research and find places nearby that teach Krav Maga and to make a list of the business’ names, phone numbers and find out how much the classes cost. She nods and gets to work on it for him.

Graham and Rich are called back to set and they continue filming for the rest of the afternoon.


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: 18+Aged readers only!!!  
> Mentions of fingering, and sexual assault

You awake hearing Aiden and Scarlett’s voice at your door telling Phantom to move and let them in. They are laughing and you hear Phantom, “Wuff” and you hear his nails clicking on the linoleum flooring as he gets up and moves away from the door.

“Good Boy!” Scarlett says as she carries in a small box of supplies and Aiden follows with breakfast and coffees for everyone. “Morning Harley!” he says, “Did you sleep alright?” he asks.

You nod. “Yeah. I vaguely remember Rich coming and curling up with me in bed and him mumbling something about almost being done filming. Then he left me this wonderful card this morning. I found it when I woke up and it made me cry.” You tell him. He goes over and picks the card up and reads it. His eyes get glassy and he looks at you surprised. “Wow! He wrote this himself! That’s his handwriting! He must’ve had his assistant go print off the pics and mount them on the cardstock for you and then he wrote the message.” He says.

Scarlett giggles, “He’s beating you in the romance department, Sweetheart.” She teases Aiden.

He rolls his eyes. “I’m romantic!!!” he defends. And goes to kiss her passionately and nuzzles her neck. Scarlett giggles again, “Yeah, but not sappy romantic like that is!” she says pointing to the cards.

Aiden rolls his eyes. “You ladies!” he says and throws his hands in the air. You and Scarlett just laugh. “Hey! I didn’t ask for this! Rich is doing that all on his own!” you defend.

The three of you laugh and enjoy breakfast. Nurse Ann comes to check on you and warns you that the young Doc from yesterday tried to get into your room early this morning but that Phantom wouldn’t let him through the door and growled at him warning him to stop. She tells you she saw him trying to enter your room and told him he was not to be going into your room as you had requested a different Doctor. “I shooed him to go finish his rounds. He didn’t seem very happy about it.” she says. “It’s a good thing you had your dog with you. I let your Dad know what was going on and told him not to worry, that your dog was doing what he was trained to do.” She says. “I hope you don’t mind I did that.” She says.

You thank her and feel both scared and relieved. Ann asks if you need anything and says she will bring your meds in after you’re done with breakfast. You thank her and she heads out.

Scarlett and Aiden look at you and see you’re scared. “You alright, Harley?” Aiden says and comes to sit by you on the bed. “Just scared a bit. If Phantom wouldn’t have been here, that Doctor probably would’ve assaulted me. He was feeling me up yesterday under the guise of checking my bullet wounds. He made my skin crawl and I couldn’t believe he was doing it right in front of Graham! I felt so embarrassed!” you say quietly as you look down into your lap.

“Honey, I’m sure Graham will say something to Rich. He will probably contact the hospital and ask they keep this Doc away from you, knowing how protective he is of you. Don’t worry too much about it. We’re here with you and we will keep you company today. Alright?” Aiden tells you.

You nod and everyone goes back to eating. After breakfast, Ann brings you your meds and checks your bullet wounds. “They’re healing nicely! You’re very lucky they didn’t get infected!” she tells you. Is there anything you need before I head out?” she asks. You shake your head and thank her. “See you tomorrow, then Harley. Have a good day with your friends.” She tells you. “Have a good sleep, Ann. Thanks for keeping an eye on me and making that horrible Doc leave us alone.” You tell her. She smiles and heads out after telling Phantom to keep being a good guard dog.

You show Aiden how to tear out the pages from the pen and ink drawing book and show him how to fold them so you can seal them when you’re done writing up each clue. Scarlett gets your calligraphy stuff in order and goes and grabs a wad of paper towels from the dispenser. You three spend the morning creating the different clues that will be given to Rich during the scavenger hunt.

“Wow! These look amazing!” Aiden exclaims as he examines the different clues laid out on the bed to dry. “Where did you learn to do this?” he asks. You and Scarlett giggle, “Art class in Junior High.” She tells him. “Harley here had it mastered by the time I moved to NYC with our families. Her calligraphy set was always one of the things she would take with her each time she ran from her boyfriends. She always kept it in her bag.”

“Wow! Rich will be impressed when he sees these.” He says holding up one of them and looks at it again.

"Want to see how I seal them?” you ask. He nods and you take the first one and fold it. Scarlett lights the tealight candle with her cigarette lighter and places it under the warmer. You set the spoon in the holder above the warmer and place the purple wax in it. The three of you watch as the wax quickly melts and you pick up the spoon and carefully pour a quarter size amount onto the paper and small ribbon section where the edges overlap at the center. You set the spoon back in the rest and grab the embossed press and push it into the wax and count to five, then pull it gently off, revealing an intricate pattern with a letter ‘D’ in the center. Once it cools, you take the gold sharpie and go over the raised area of the embossed pattern and ‘D’, so it is in gold against the deep purple wax in the background.

You hand it to Aiden and he looks at it, “So THAT’S how they do that!” he exclaims. “I’ve seen hundreds of these being used as props, but never saw how they were made. Kinda wish we could still send letters this way.” He comments.

You and Scarlett chuckle. ‘You can, they just can’t be mailed seeing as they get stuck in the postal machines.” You explain.

He nods. “So now once they are all dry, you seal these up?” he asks. You nod. “Here, let me write on the back of that one so I know which order it goes in. It was the first one, so you write on it, “To: Richard, my Love.” On it with your blue and Gold inks.

Scarlett hands you each clue in order and you proceed to seal and address each one with the # and clue on it. The only one you are “missing” is the second one since you’ll be writing it in the steam on Rich’s bathroom mirror. You write it out though and place it with the rest of the clues, so you remember what you’re supposed to be writing.

“Scarlett, will you and Aiden help me get these to the proper locations / people the night before the scavenger hunt so I’m not scrambling to get them placed the morning of? The one for the Coffee shop is to be placed in The Hobbit book. I need to get a stuffed Thorin for Rich to have sitting with the book. I want them both placed on the table in the nook where that section of books are located. Graham and Todd will both know which nook it is. Have the clue sticking out of the book like a bookmark so he sees it.

The one for the Raven, have it taped under the table top near the edge of the table that the four of us sat at when we drank at the bar that first time you brought me there and we met Aiden and Rich. Okay?” you explain. "Have them do it once they close up for the night."

“Okay, Harley, we can do that.” She says.

You three pack everything up and you ask Scarlett to go to the nurse’s station and ask if they have a manilla envelope you could bum from them to put the clues in. She goes and comes back with one. You carefully put them into the envelope. “Take these with you and put them in my room in my suitcase so Rich doesn’t find them and spoil the surprise. I should hopefully be in my apartment before we do this, so I’ll just keep them in the suitcase till the night before.” You explain.

Scarlett puts the envelope in her messenger bag and the two of you giggle. You look up at the clock and see it’s almost lunch time. Checking your phone, you see you got a message from Richard. You open it to see:

_Hi, Sweetheart! Hope you’re having a good day. We’re exhausted already. Lots of action sequences this morning. I swear the Director saved them all for today’s filming! UGH! Can’t wait to get back to you and hold you in my arms once again. I love you to the moon and back! Take care, get lots of rest and be safe, Sweetheart. Thinking of you this day!” xoxo Rich._

“What do we want for lunch?” Aiden asks. You chuckle, ‘Anything but Chinese and hospital food!” you reply with a giggle. Aiden smirks, “Are you burnt out from the Beef and Broccoli?” he teases. You nod. “For now, yes. I could go for a taco salad though, with that nice crispy chip like bowl they put them in! Mmmmmmm!” you comment.

“Tacos sound good! What do you want my Sweet?” Aiden asks Scarlett as he nibbles her neck and peppers it with little kisses.

She giggles and says she wants a burrito. “Alright, Sweetheart. I’ll get you one.” he says and stands up. Aiden heads out to get you both food.

You yawn. “Mind if I take a nap for a while?” you ask. “No, Sweetheart, go ahead, I think I’ll take Phantom out and see if he needs to go to the bathroom.” She says as he’s already at the door with his leach, dancing to go out. You nod and lie down on the bed, reclining it.

Scarlett heads out with Phantom on the leash. You quickly fall asleep and dream of your hunky man.

You wake with a start, feeling immediately that something isn’t right. You open your eyes and look up to see the young Doctor in your room hovering over you. You scream and kick at him with your good leg. He growls and covers your mouth at your scream. His hand grips your leg and he gives it a yank. “Be quiet!” he orders as he slides his fingers into you and starts to fondle you roughly and you begin to scratch at him and fight him. “LET ME GO!!!” you scream after biting his hand. Tears are streaming down your face and you feel him squeeze your clit hard with his fingers making you cry out as you struggle against him.

Suddenly you hear a familiar growl and the man screams out, letting you go immediately as his body is yanked away from you and is pulled to the ground. Scarlett is there at your side immediately and nurses come running into the room as soon as they hear your screams. Phantom has the young Doctor pinned to the ground and has his arm in his mouth shaking it furiously.

Ann is seething and so is the Charge Nurse. “YOU WERE TOLD TO STAY OUT OF THIS ROOM!” the charge nurse bellows at him! What the hell were you doing assaulting my patient in her bed while she slept!?!?! Do you fucking realize who her boyfriend is? And who her adoptive Father is?!?!?! They’ll have your head for this!!!” She tells him with her hands on her hips, as the security guards appear.

No one dares to approach Phantom until Sophie signals him to stop. “Etzil” she says, and he drops the doctor’s arm. He cries out in pain and the guards cuff him and lift him to his feet.

“I am SO sorry, Harley!” Scarlett says, “I shouldn’t have taken Phantom and left you by yourself!” she says crying as she holds your trembling body.

“Are you alright, Harley?” Ann asks “I’m sorry we didn’t see him slip in here. We got called to assist another patients. He must’ve waited till we had gone to help them, to slip into your room. Did he hurt you at all?” The charge nurse asks.

“He… he… he was touching me!” You say softly. “Down there. I thought I was dreaming it was my boyfriend doing it, but something didn’t seem right, and I realized my boyfriend was not here, he was filming today. I woke to find the Doctor hovering over me and fingering me.” You cry and cling to Sophie.

“Honey, I’m gonna need you to talk with the police about this. There’s been other patients complaining about him too, but no one was ever able to catch him in the act with witnesses.” The charge nurse says. You nod. “Okay.” You say quietly.

“I wish Rich and Graham were here. But they’re filming all day. Don’t bother them with this. Please!” you beg. “I don’t want them to be distracted by worrying about me. They need to get this filming done so the movie can be finished on time.” You tell them.

“You sure, Harley? They might get upset that they weren’t told about it right away.” Scarlett says. “They’ll get over it, Scar. There isn’t anything they can do about it anyway. What’s done is done.” You reply.

“Where’s Phantom?” you ask. “One of the nurses took him to get him cleaned up, Sweetheart. I didn’t think you’d want the Doc’s blood all over his snout.” Ann says. “He’ll be back as soon as she gets him all cleaned up.” She assures you.

“Why does this keep happening to me? Why do men keep trying to use me as a fuck toy?” you cry. “I know, Honey, I know. It’s cuz you’re pretty and they think they can take you without a fight.” Scar says. “You know how men are, they can only think with one head at a time when they see a pretty lady.” She reminds you.

“But Rich and Graham didn’t!” you cry. “Oh Honey, that’s cuz they are special. They respect beautiful things and want to protect and cherish them, not take advantage of them. They are true gentlemen. They were both attracted to you but not in the way most men were.” She tells you. “Rest now, Harley. The guards have him and he won’t be molesting anyone else for quite a while. Rich and Graham will see he is never able to practice medicine again and will see he is charged with assaulting and molesting you.” She assures you.

You nod and curl up as best you can and lay against Scarlett’s chest. Her arms wrapping around you protectively. Ann and the Charge Nurse sigh and rub your back gently. "Honey, I’ll have the other Doctor, Dr.Runsvold, come and check you, just to make sure this idiot didn’t do more than just finger you while you slept. Will you be okay with letting him check you? We’ll stay in here with you.” She asks. You nod. “As long as you stay here with me when he does.” You say.

The Charge Nurse leaves to go call Dr. Runsvold, who had been assigned to treat you. He was livid when he found out what his colleague had done. “I’ll be right there.” He says and hangs up. Five minutes later he is entering your room with the charge nurse and squats down in front of you. “I’m SO sorry, Miss Harley, that Dr. Grantz assaulted you like he did. Do you mind if I check you and make sure he didn’t rape you while you slept?” he asks. You nod.

He has you lie down, and he checks to make sure you weren’t raped. “I don’t see any evidence of him coming inside you and you’re just a little red and swollen from his fingers, so I’d say you don’t need any other treatment for that. Is there anything you’d like us to do for you, Sweetheart?” He asks.

“I just want my dog for right now. Don’t call my boyfriend and my Pops, they are trying to finish the movie they are in and they only have today and Monday left to get everything filmed. They won’t be done till late tonight and I don’t want to distract them from their work.” You tell him.

He sighs, “Very well, Sweetheart. Here’s Phantom now.” he says as the nurse brings the dog back in your room. Phantom immediately is up on your bed and snuggling you and whining. You curl up with him and snuggle him and tell him he’s a good boy. The Doctor and the Charge Nurse head out and let you be. Ann and Scarlett stay and keep you company. Eventually you fall asleep again and they head into the Hallway.

“I feel just horrible, Scarlett. I don’t understand why he kept targeting her even though she had the dog and was warned to leave her alone.” Ann says. “I feel bad for leaving her alone. I looked for a nurse to come sit with her, but couldn’t see any. Phantom needed to go outside, and I didn’t want him to have an accident in the hallway, so we left. He must’ve been watching and waiting for us to leave her alone without Phantom or anyone to protect her so he could make his move.” Scarlett surmises.

Ann nods. “Graham and Rich are going to be furious with us.” she says. “They’ll get over it once they find out he’s in custody. The hospital and the cops couldn’t do anything about him until he actually got caught molesting a patient unfortunately.” Scarlett says. She jumps when a large, warm hand touches her shoulder. She looks up and sees Alex in his uniform.

“Alex!” she says. He frowns. “What’s this I hear Harley got molested by a Doctor?” he asks trying to remain calm and professional.

They both nod. Ann explains what has been going on with this new, young Doctor and the rumors that had spread when he was hired. She tells him about how Dr. Grantz made you uncomfortable and how you and Graham had requested a different Doctor tend you this weekend and how Phantom blocked the door yesterday, growling any time he heard the Doc’s voice. Scarlett explains that if the nurses knocked and told Phantom it was them, that he’d let them in, same with the rest of the friends, but if it was Dr. Grantz, he’d refuse to budge and just growled when he heard the Doc's voice.

Ann tells Alex how she found the Doc trying to get into your room early this morning as he did his rounds with the patients sound asleep. She explains how she stopped him and shooed him away. Then Scarlett tells him how Aiden went to get you both lunch and Phantom needed to go outside so when she left she looked for a nurse to stay with you, but couldn’t find one. Ann explains they were called to rooms where patients needed help and the others were also helping patients either turning or getting to the restroom. He nods, seeing the dilemma and the opening the Doc had been waiting for.

“He saw she was alone and there was no one to witness him entering her room. He just didn’t count on her waking up and screaming” Ann says. “Luckily Scarlett came back with Phantom quickly and the dog immediately attacked when Scarlett saw him in the room.” Ann says.

Alex looks at Scarlett. “Did you see what the Doc was doing and tell Phantom to attack?” she nods. “I saw him fingering her and I used the silent command so the Doc wouldn’t hear us approach from behind.” She explains. “Phantom took him down in a heartbeat.” She adds proudly.

Alex groans and rubs his face in frustration. “Todd is going to be pissed. So is Rich and Graham.” He says quietly. “Alex, Harley doesn’t want Rich and Graham notified of what happened until they are done with work. She doesn’t want them distracted. They only have today and Monday to finish filming.” Scarlett tells him.

He groans again. “Fine.” He says. “I need to go talk to Harley about what happened.” He says. They nod and let him into the room. He stands in the doorway for a moment after closing it and just looks at you laying in the bed curled up as best as you can with Phantom. He sighs quietly and comes to the side of the bed you are facing. He sits down and gently shakes your shoulder. Phantom raises his head and licks Alex’s hand.

“Harley, Sweetheart.” He says softly, not wanting to startle you. You open your eyes and see him sitting there. You sit up and realize he is in his uniform. “Alex? What are you doing here? Is Todd okay?” you ask suddenly worried about your boss. Alex gives you a soft smile. “Honey, Todd’s fine. I was sent to come deal with the Doctor assaulting a patient. I didn’t realize it was you though until I got here and was given the room number. Honey, I’m SO sorry! Are you okay?” he asks. You do the grabby hands wanting a hug. “Can you just hold me for a few minutes? I was so scared when I woke up and saw him hovering over me and realized what he was doing. It made me feel just sick and filthy inside. His touch made my skin crawl.” You cry.

Alex comes and sits next to you and holds you, letting you cry. Phantom sits on the other side of you and whines softly, licking your arm. “I know, Sweetheart. He should never have been allowed to work in this kind of setting. He has a list of complaints from the other hospitals’ patients that is a mile long, but the cops in that precinct could never get enough evidence to arrest and convict him.

Now we have a witness to it and DNA from him so we can finally arrest and convict him. I’m just sorry you had to be the victim again, Sweetheart. I think we’re gonna have to teach you some self-defense once you get out of here and are deemed back to 100% healed.” He tells you.

“Graham and Rich want me to take Krav Maga classes.” You tell Alex. He nods. “That would be a very good idea, Sweetheart. Those techniques have saved countless lives and protected thousands of women both in Israel and in the US.” he tells you.

“Now, do you think you can tell me what happened, or would you rather write it out?” he asks you. “Can I just write it out?” you ask. He nods. “I’ll go get you something to write on. I’ll be right back.” He says letting you sit up and he stands and walks to the door.

You hear him say something to someone in the hallway and a moment later he returns with a legal pad clipped to a clipboard. He hands it to you along with a pen from his pocket. You sit and write out what happened and when you finish you sign and date and time stamp it for him.

He reads it and sighs. “I’m just glad he only was able to finger you and didn’t get to flat out raping you sexually, Sweetheart.” Are you gonna be okay?” he asks again.

You nod. “I’ll be fine, Alex, it just scared me a bit. Aiden should be back soon with the food and Scarlett’s here and Phantom, so I’ll be fine till Graham and Rich get off work and come up.” You tell him.

“Okay. Honey. If you need anything in the meantime, you text me, okay?” he says. “Okay Alex, thank you.” You say and yawn.

“Get some rest, Harley.” He says and tucks you into bed. “I’ll come check on you when I finish my shift for today.” He tells you. You nod and close your eyes. Phantom lays down back to back with you and faces the door.

Alex signals Phantom to ‘guard’ and Phantom “wuffs” softly.

When Alex steps out of the room, he sees Aiden and Scarlett talking. Aiden is pissed and Scarlett is trying to calm him down. “You two okay?” Alex asks. They both look up at him and sigh. “Why do they always go after her?” Aiden asks. “Why can’t she just be left alone to live her life and be happy for once?” he says, frustrated.

“I know, Aid.” Alex says. “I feel the same way. I have no answer for you though. They see her beauty and just seem to want to destroy it and use it for their own sick pleasures. The best thing we can do is be supportive of her and encourage her to take self-defense classes. Maybe join her as she does them so she isn’t feeling so alone in it and has someone to practice with.” He suggests looking at the two of them with a raised brow.

Aiden nods. “Okay. It’d be good for us to know how to do anyway.” He says. “Harley said Graham and Rich wanted her to take something called Krav Maga. It’s a form of martial arts self defense that was created by the Israeli army to protect their women soldiers from rape and attacks. Many of their techniques are banned in other martial art forms because they can kill. But that is what makes it the best to learn. If it means killing someone out of self defense to get away alive or being killed, I’d rather have someone be able to defend themselves from an attacker, kill them and live if that is the only way they can get to safety alive.” Alex tells them.

Scarlett nods. “I wish we would’ve known about this in High school. It would’ve saved her a boat load of heartache and pain.” She says sadly.

“I’ll talk with Rich and Graham after they are done with work.” Alex tells them. “Aiden, can you give me the info to get a hold of them when they are on set?” he asks.

“Just call their cell phones. Their PA’s will answer and take a message and will give it to them on their break or when they finish for the day if that is what you want.” He tells Alex.

“Thanks, Aiden.” Alex says. “I gotta get going now, if you hear anything or something changes, let me know right away.” He instructs them. They both nod.

Once Alex left, they went into your room. “Harley? Food’s here.” Scarlett says quietly as she comes over to you. You sigh and sit up, booting Phantom off the bed. He plops down right next to the bed.

Aiden hands you your taco salad and some sour cream and a fork. “You gonna be okay, Har?” he asks.

You shrug. “It’s more humiliating than anything. At least he didn’t get far enough to actually rape me. He just fingered me.” You reply. “I’ve had worse done to me than what he did.” You sigh.

“It still makes me mad though that he did that to you when he had been told and warned to stay away from you.” Aiden says quietly.

“I know, Aid. Guys like that think they can do whatever they want and take whatever they want. They don’t care if the girl has a boyfriend or a husband or not. All they care about is getting their sick and perverse pleasure out of the pretty body before them. They care nothing of the woman they are abusing.” You try to explain. “I just never thought I’d have it happen in a hospital, where I’m supposed to feel safe and protected.”

“Well, it’s a good thing you don’t have to stay here much longer.” Aiden says trying to cheer you up. “What do you want to do when you get out of here?” he asks while you all eat.

“I need to get the dress from Graham altered so it fits me properly, then we need to focus on getting me moved into my new apartment. Thank God I’m only one flight of steps up from the door!!!” you exclaim. “I _hate_ being on crutches!”

Are there things you’re gonna need, Harley?” Aiden asks. Scarlett giggles. “Um most of her stuff is from thrift stores and none of her dishes match. I don’t think you even have enough to feed all of us if we all came over, Harley.” She says. You nod. “I need new dishes, glasses and silverware, so I have enough to entertain everyone.” You think for a bit. “Rich said he’d get me a new couch and dining set since Ben broke them both. I don’t know if I’ll have room for much else though. I have my TV and blueray/dvd player and some movies. I only have a twin bed though and my dresser and night stands.” You explain.

Aiden giggles, “Does Rich know you only have a Twin size bed?” he inquires. Scarlett smacks him on the arm, “Aid!” she scolds.

You giggle and shake your head. “I suppose he’ll insist on getting me a bigger bed, huh?” you sigh when you realize Aiden’s right. Rich won’t settle for the two of you sharing a tiny bed like that.

You’re pulled out of your musing by Aiden asking, “So why do you have such a tiny bed anyway? Why sleep on such a small bed?” he asks.

You sigh. “Why have such a big bed when it was only me sleeping in it, Aiden?” you reply.

“I gave up on men after what Ben had done to me. I never planned on ever going to bed with another man for as long as I lived. I had enough of being fucked and used as a sex toy. I didn’t want it anymore. As far as I was concerned, it was time to focus on me and just learning to be comfortable in my brokenness and learn to live on my own without needing others to take care of me. I guess I failed miserably with that.” You say quietly.

Aiden was quiet for a while. “I’m sorry you felt like that Harley. I guess I didn’t realize that since you seemed so bubbly and happy all the time.” He apologized.

“It’s okay, Aiden. I got good at hiding what I was feeling out of fear my exes would see how their abuse affected me and do it more. They thrived on breaking me and torturing me till I couldn’t take it any longer and started to cry and beg for them to stop.” You say quietly. “I guess I just learned to mentally detach from what was going on around me to protect myself from the pain and hurt.” You explain.

“That night at The Squawking Raven was the first time I had fun with someone in years. Ask Scar. She knows.” You tell Aiden. He looks at Scarlett and she nods.

You sigh and finish munching on your taco shell. “I’m tired, would you two mind if I slept for a while?” you ask. They shake their heads. “We’ll just play a game over in the corner, so you aren’t alone and in case Phantom needs to go out.” Aiden tells you.

You thank him for lunch and recline the bed back. Patting the bed, you signal ‘up’ for Phantom, who comes and snuggles with you against your chest. You fall asleep quickly spooning the dog and placing an arm over his back. He tucks his head under your chin and goes to sleep too. Scarlett snaps a pic of you and sends it to Graham, telling him you had a rough afternoon.

They let you sleep and play board games quietly in the corner of the room. The nurses come and check on you periodically and then let you be. You sleep most of the afternoon.


	39. Chapter 39

Around 4pm Graham and Rich were given a break from filming when one of the pieces of equipment stopped working. They went to grab some food from the table spread that had been prepared for the cast and crew, then they went to sit down and eat.

Richard’s PA came up to him cradling his phone against her chest. “Sir, the Head of the Hospital is on the phone. Did you want to speak with him or shall I take a message?” she asks. He swallows and holds out his hand.

She hands him the phone then goes to stand by Graham’s PA who is over by the food table.

“Hello?” Rich asks in his strong baritone voice. “Hello, is this Mr. Armitage?” the voice asks. “It is.” Rich replies. “Hello, this is _____ from the hospital calling, we spoke this morning.” He says. “Yes?” Rich replies, getting annoyed. “Um, Sir, I was informed shortly after lunch that the Doctor we had discussed this morning was caught in a patient’s room, he was… um… molesting her and was apprehended by the nurses and security. The police were called and he is now in their custody. He will be facing disciplinary actions and will be losing his medical license because of this. I thought it best to inform you of this now that the problem has been dealt with.” He says. “My apologies for it being a problem for your girlfriend, and for making her feel uncomfortable when under his care. We are very disappointed in his behavior and were not aware of the issues he had caused at other hospitals until the police informed us of it this afternoon. Had we known, we would never have hired him.” He informs Rich.

Rich has a sudden sinking feeling in his gut when he hears what happened in the afternoon with the Doctor and the patient. “Is the patient alright that he molested?” Rich asks. “I’m afraid I am not able to discuss it as I do not know.” The man replies. “I haven’t been given all the exact details yet, I just got the summarized version from my charge nurse on that floor and the police. I just shared with you what I know so far.” He states.

Rich grumbles. “Alright. Thank you for letting me know what is being done about him.” He says and they hang up.

Graham was watching the conversation and frowns, “Rich, what is it? What happened?” he asks.

Rich growls. “The damn Doctor was discovered molesting a female patient this afternoon and was apprehended. The police have him in custody. They wouldn’t say who the victim was and if she was alright.” He says.

Both Graham and Rich are feeling uneasy. About the situation. Graham goes to pick up his phone to text Aiden, when he receives a text from Scarlett. He opens it and sees you curled up around Phantom and his heart sinks when he sees that Scarlett texted that you had a rough afternoon.

“Rich, I have a bad feeling about who the victim was.” He says quietly. “Why?” Rich asks. Graham shows him the text from Scarlett. Rich’s stomach drops and he groans. “No.”

Rich immediately texts Scarlett, “Please tell me Harley wasn’t the one the Doctor molested!”

Scarlett gets the text and her eyes get huge. She shows it to Aiden. “How do I answer this? How the hell did they find out!”

“How did you know about the Doctor molesting a patient?!?” she texts back.

Rich gets her text and growls. “The head of the hospital just called to tell us the Doctor was arrested for molesting a female patient. I had called him this morning to express my concerns and demanded he do something about this doctor or I’d pull Harley out of that hospital and have a different one take care of her recovery. PLEASE tell me she wasn’t the one he molested!”

He sends the text to her, his foot bobbing impatiently on his chair’s footrest.

Scarlett’s eyes get huge when she reads his message. “Fuck fuck fuckity fuck fuck!!!!” she growls. “What is it, Scar?” Aiden asks trying to shush her. “The head of the hospital called Rich and told him the doc molested a patient. Now he is demanding I tell him if it was Harley who was attacked! What do I do?!?!” she asks, panicking.

Aiden looks over at you, curled up. He stands, pulls Scarlett into a hug and leads her out to the hallway. “You call him and calmly explain what all happened and that the doctor only was fingering her, he didn’t rape her. That she is physically fine, and just very exhausted and clingy.” He tells her. She sighs and nods. “Will you stay here with me while I call him?” Aiden nods.

Scarlett calls Rich with trembling hands.

Rich’s phone rings as he is staring at it and he looks up at Graham with a worried face when he sees it’s Scarlett calling. He answers, “Hang on a minute, Scar.” Then hands the phone to Graham for a moment. He goes and tells the director he and Graham need to step outside to take an important call for a few moments. The director nods and goes back to trying to fix the broken equipment with the tech person.

Graham hands him the phone back and Rich motions for him to follow. They head outside and Rich puts it on speakerphone and lowers the volume so it’s just loud enough for the two of them to hear. “Okay Scarlett, spill it. What is going on up there?” Rich rumbles.

She tells them both what happened and how it happened and apologizes profusely for leaving you alone. Rich is fuming and Graham is pissed, but is managing it better than Rich. He rubs his face and asks a few questions. She assures them that you were only fingered by the Doc, that she came in the room with Phantom and found him shoving his fingers in your pussy and that you were doing your best to fight him off with your bum leg. She said she used the silent command telling Phantom to attack and that he took the Doc down before he could rape you. She tells him you were shook up but said what he did was nothing compared to what you’ve been through with Ben.

Scarlett tells them that Alex was assigned the case and talked with her, Nurse Ann, who happened to still be here when it happened, and talked with you. She tells the two of them that he’ll probably get in touch with the two of them towards the end of the day. She says that you had asked they not be told until they were done filming, so as not to distract them and disrupt filming since they were running out of time.

Graham groans, “Awww Harley, Fuck, Sweetheart ya should’ve let them tell us sooner!” he mumbles. “Don’t be mad at her for it. She was trying to make sure you both were going to be able to do your jobs. She knew if you were told, you’d both worry and be upset and have a hard time trying to focus on what you needed to do.” Scarlett says. “We’re here, Phantom’s here, she’s sleeping and getting cuddles from everyone. She’ll be fine till the two of you are done for the day.” She assures them both. “I’m sorry the Hospital head had to fuck it up for you both and spill the beans.” She apologizes.

“Scarlett, thanks for clarifying for us what happened.” Rich says, having calmed down some. “I had a funny feeling it was her he had attacked. I’m just glad you came back so quick with Phantom so that damn Doc couldn’t do more to her. It’s not your fault this happened. Phantom needed to go outside, and the nurses were busy with other patients and Aiden was gone getting lunch. You did what you had to do. There was no way anyone knew he was just waiting to get in there when she was left unattended. We’re just lucky you returned when you did, and that Phantom was able to stop him and keep him until the security could arrive. Thanks.” Rich says.

“I’m SO sorry Rich! I hope this doesn’t fuck up you two for filming this afternoon and evening.” She tells the two men.

“Well, right now, Scar, we’re just sitting around. One of the pieces of equipment broke down and they’ve been trying to fix it for the last half hour. I don’t know if they’ll get it fixed or not. We might be done for the day and have to come in tomorrow and Monday to finish if they can get a replacement in time.” Graham tells her.

“Okay, well keep us posted how things are going.” She tells the two of them. “Will do, Honey.” Graham tells her. Then they hang up.

Rich growls. “Fuck! Why the fuck does it always have to be her!?!?” he growls in frustration. “I know, Rich. I feel bad for her. She can’t seem to shake them off of her.” Graham sighs. “She can’t seem to get a break. Thank God she has you to love on her and remind her there are gentlemen still in this world who treat their women well and proper.” He says patting Rich on the shoulder. “Come on, there’s not much we can do for her right now. Let’s go see if they got the piece fixed yet or not, and what the plans are.” He says, handing the phone back to Rich.

Rich nods and follows Graham back inside. They both groan when they see the director hovering over the broken piece of equipment with the tech people still.


	40. Chapter 40

You were still sleeping when suppertime rolled around. Aiden and Scarlett ordered pizzas for the three of you and for the overstressed nursing staff after the horrible day everyone’s had. Aiden asked the pizza place to write on the inside cover of the pizza boxes “Thank you for all you do!!! You’re awesome.” Then he ran down to the cafeteria and bought the entire box of life savers candies they had and gave each nurse working today on your floor a package of them and thanked them for being such great heroes to the people who need their help. Several of them looked from him to the candy and back to him and cried. “Thank you! You don’t know what that means to hear that after the kind of day we’ve had!” several of them said. He grinned and gave them a hug and told them they are doing a great job working with what they have for staff and supplies and that he appreciates them.”

When the pizza arrives, he tells the delivery person to bring the pepperoni one to your room, and he takes the other three boxes of pizza and peeks inside to make sure his message is on each inside lid. He then gives them to the nurses and tells them supper is on him tonight and to enjoy. They look at him and grin. “Really?!?” they ask. He gives them his 100 watt grin and they all smile back at him and thank him for the food and encouragement. He lets them take selfies with him and signs autographs for them and then leaves them to enjoy their food.

He happily trots back to your room and settles down to eat with Scarlett. “Isn’t Harley going to have any?” he asks quietly. “She said she wasn’t hungry. I think this set her back into another bout of depression, Aid.” She says quietly.

He frowns. “I wish there was something we could do to cheer her up.” He says. Scarlett shakes her head. “There isn’t much we can do, Aid. Just give her lots of hugs and encouragement. Even if it seems like it’s bouncing off her noggin. She just has to work through things in her head and deal with what’s happened. It usually takes her a few days to work through it. She kind of just retreats inward for a while trying to cope.” She explains.

He sighs and gets up. He goes over to you and gently rubs your shoulder, “Harley?” he asks. You open your eyes and look up at him. He sees the emptiness in your eyes and it about breaks his heart. He swallows hard. “Honey, I got us some supper. You need to eat if you’re gonna get that leg healed. Please, will ya have a piece for me and Scarlett? I know you’re probably not hungry, but you still need to eat, Sweetheart.”

You sigh and feel just drained. You struggle to sit up and he helps you. Scarlett brings you a piece of pizza and the two of them join you on the bed with their pizzas. The three of you are eating when there’s a soft knock on the door.

Phantom gives a soft “Wuff” and trots to the door. His tail wagging when he sees who’s opening it. “Hey, buddy!” you hear a familiar voice say. You freeze with your pizza halfway to your mouth when you hear his voice.

Scarlett and Aiden look over in surprise when they hear Richard’s voice. “What are you two doing here? I thought you were going to be filming late into tonight?!” Aiden exclaims.

“We were, but one of the cameras broke down and we couldn’t film any more for the night. We’re gonna have to go in tomorrow afternoon to finish the scenes we were supposed to shoot tonight, and then go in Monday to do those scenes.” Graham sighs and plops down in the chair by the table, grabbing a piece of pizza and taking a bite.

Rich comes over to you with an absolutely enormous bouquet of roses. There’s a dozen red a dozen pink, and a dozen yellow ones all intermixed with greenery and baby’s breath. He comes over to the bed and Scarlett and Aiden move back over to the table.

Your gaze moves from him to the flowers and you set your pizza on the paper towel on your lap. You can’t believe Rich is here. You wanted nothing but to have him hold you and comfort you since the doctor molested you.

Rich sees the bewildered look on your face, and he sets down the flowers on the bedside table. He gently cups your face with one of his hands and says, “Hey, Sweetheart. You doing alright?” you shake your head and can feel your eyes start to burn. He sees your eyes get glassy and he drops the bedside rail and scoots up to you and pulls you up till you’re being held by him and are sitting on his lap.

“It’s okay, Sweetheart. I’m here.” He murmurs as you bury your face in his chest and cry, hard. Rich looks up at Graham and sees he’s trying not to cry too. Graham nudges Aiden and Scarlett out of the room and grabs the pizza box, giving you and Rich some time alone to work things out.

You cling to Rich and bawl. He holds you tight and murmurs reassurances to you. “You’ll be alright, Sweetheart. We’ll work through this just like everything else. I’m not gonna leave you to deal with it all alone. I love you, Sweetheart. I’m here, and you’re safe now.” he murmurs as he cups your head and kisses the top of it.

“I was so afraid, Rich. I tried to fight him off. I tried so hard, but he wouldn’t stop!” you bawl.

“Shhhh, Sweetheart. It’s okay. We’ll get you proper training when this is all over and your body is healed enough to do it. Then you’ll know how to handle these situations and be able to defend yourself with Phantom’s help.” He reassures you. “Now, what do you need to feel better?” he asks.

“I just want to go home and be with you. I want you to hold me and love me and I want to be one like we were that one night.” You cry.

“I know, Sweetheart, I know. I want it too. But you need to stay here a few more days till the Doctor says it’s okay for you to leave. Hopefully Monday or Tuesday you’ll be able to get out of here.” He says. “I’m afraid the best I can do for you right now is hold you and kiss you and tell you how much I love you.” He says and starts to kiss your face and whisper all the different things he loves about you between kisses.

You close your eyes and let his words and kisses seep into your mind and heart, soothing the aches and pains there. Eventually you fall asleep clinging to him, while he holds you and assures you that he still loves you and wants you in his life.

He takes out his phone and takes a picture of the two of you and saves it to his phone. He opens a text to you and attaches the photo along with this message:

_“Wherever I go, Whatever I do,_

_There’s no better place, Then right next to you!_

_I met you._

_I liked you._

_I LOVE YOU!_

_I’m keeping you!_

_I’ll be the warrior to fight for our love;_

_We’ll fly together, fly higher than the dove._

_I’ll be your wall and shield you from danger;_

_I’ll take all the pains, for to me they’re no stranger._

_You’ll be the Queen in the Kingdom of my Heart;_

_And then I’ll be the King, So we’ll never be apart._

_You’ll be my majesty – I will serve you forever;_

_And for all of time, I will leave you never._

_You are my Precious Treasure_

_My heart and breath_

_I love you, Harley Rae Davidsen-McTavish”_

_Always and forever, unconditionally._

Richard reads through the message and then hits send. It angers him that this happened to you in a place that is supposed to provide nurturing and healing. He knows the only one to blame is the Doctor himself. That none of these nurses and other Doctors could do much to stop him. He knows it’s unrealistic to expect you to be watched 24/7 and that even Phantom needed breaks for going outside and rest.

He holds you close and gently rocks you humming quietly just being there for you in your need and your slumber, making you feel loved and safe. He feels your body get heavier as you fall into a deep sleep. He gently picks you up and carries you over to the recliner and sits down. He cradles you in his lap, being careful of your wounds and grabs the blanket off the back of the chair. He drapes it over the two of you and lays there holding you and gazing out the window watching as the evening turns to night and the stars start poking through the darkness.

After about an hour, Rich had dozed off and fallen asleep with you in his arms. Graham pokes his head in and sees the two of you asleep in the recliner. He snaps a quick picture and comes over and gives you a kiss on the top of your head. Then heads out to go home and get some rest.

Scarlett quietly creeps into the room to retrieve her messenger bag and then she and Aiden head out as well. Phantom continues to lay in his doggie bed and watches his pack moving around the room. Once it’s just you and Rich, Phantom goes to sleep too.

After a while, you wake and feel Rich’s soft snoring against your face. You open your eyes and can see out the window. You realize he must’ve carried you over to the recliner and look to see that he had reclined it and had you resting tucked in against his side. His arms were wrapped around you protectively and his head rested gently on yours. You just laid there, listening to his heart beating, his slow and steady breaths, and his soft snores. You loved this man more than anything and couldn’t believe how blessed you were to be found by him. Your gaze crosses the room and lands on the massive flower bouquet by your bed.

Your jaw drops as you count the colored flowers and figure that there had to be a dozen of each color in it. It had to have costed him a small fortune for it. You sigh contentedly and snuggle into him a bit more feeling incredibly loved and cherished, wrapping your arms around his chest and he gently gives you a squeeze in his sleep.

You doze off again and after a while, Nurse Ann comes in and sees you two. She comes over and gently gives the two of you a shake. “Hey, you two, wouldn’t you be more comfy if you slept in the bed instead of the recliner?” she asks.

Rich grins sleepily and gives you a squeeze. He nods and carefully picks you up and carries you over to your bed. Ann pulls back the blankets and he lays you in the bed on your right side, he crawls in behind you and snuggles up to you and she covers the two of you and bids you both goodnight. With a smile, glad to see you found someone who truly loves and cherishes you.

**********

Graham heads home and is wearied by not only the difficult day of filming, but also from just trying to deal with the stress of what happened to you at the hospital. He sighs and gives Gwen a call. “Hey, Grahammy.” She says, huffing and puffing. “We’re just heading into the airport. What’s up?”

He sighs. “Honey, Harley got molested by one of the young Doctors here at the Hospital today. She’s physically alright, but emotionally it set her back. Scarlett said she slept nearly all afternoon and just kind of shut down and reverted into herself. When Rich and I showed up, she just sat and bawled in his arms.” He says with a heavy heart.

He could hear Gwen stop dead in her tracks. “Oh, Grahammy! I’m SO sorry! Please give her a hug from us and tell her we’ll be there to sit with her and keep her company soon. The girls send hugs to Poppa too! Are you doin’ okay, Sweetie?” she asks him. He sighs. “I’m just exhausted, Hun. It was a difficult day of filming and we didn’t get it all completed like we had hoped. One of the cameras busted and we had to stop filming around 4pm. Have to go in tomorrow afternoon and again on Monday to finish filming the scenes.” He tells her. “I’m just worried about Harley and Rich. They are both struggling with this new development. They fell asleep in the recliner with her in his lap and his arms were around her in a protective hold. I think it frustrates him that despite having Phantom and hospital Security and friends around her, that she still got assaulted by this dickhead.

They need a vacation to just unwind and relax and get to know each other better. I’m hoping I can talk them into coming home with us to NZ for a month to just unwind. But I don’t know what Rich has planned yet for after the film. I’ll try to find out tomorrow.” He tells her. “I’ll let you go so you all don’t miss your flight. Let me know when you get here. If I’m filming, have my assistant come pick you up at the airport and bring you to my place. You can drop off the luggage and get cleaned up. She can take you to the hospital if you want to hang out with Harley for the afternoon till we are done. Just don’t be surprised if she is kind of withdrawn and not her bubbly self, okay?”

“Okay, Sweetheart. You go get some rest now. I love you and so do the girls and we’ll be there before you know it.” she tells him. “Night Poppa!” he hears his girls say in the background. “Goodnight my Lasses.” He says and hangs up. He yawns and heads for bed. Hoping sleep claims him so he can function tomorrow.


End file.
